Potentially Fatal
by Wardsworth
Summary: Just as Bella thinks she's finally got a promising future with Edward and the Cullens, a surprising illness slowly takes down each individual member, leaving Bella and the Wolves to restore them to health.
1. You Promised You Wouldn't

I stared at Alice's small body curled up on the smallest sofa in the Cullen's lounge. I say smallest, but with the Cullen's everything's very extreme, and so their smallest sofa is probably larger than mine and Charlie's largest one. Even for a vampire Alice was looking a very unhealthy shade of white. She shouldn't have felt the cold, but a blanket was draped over her as she ran up a fever – something else that she should not have been experiencing. Beads of sweat built up on her forehead and her face was haggard.

"Please don't stare at me, Bella." Her voice was barely a whisper, and it didn't have the bell-like ring to it anymore. "I look God damn, awful."

I rolled my eyes; trust Alice to be fretting about her appearance while she was at death's door. "Sorry, Alice." I knelt down beside her, but Edward pulled me back up.

"As much as I know you want to comfort her, Bella, I don't want to risk you catching anything this severe. In fact, I shouldn't have even brought you here." Edward tugged at my arm to leave.

"I don't want to go." I looked at Alice for some support, but her eyes didn't even meet mine.

"Edward's right, Bella. Scram." Alice buried her face in a cushion as Esme stroked her hair. Ideally, this should have been Jasper's job, looking after Alice, but as much as he hated to admit it, Jasper struggled with the unhealthy emotions when he was around his wife.

Edward tugged again. "C'mon, Bella." I hesitated for a second. "Alice wants you to leave." His words were harsh.

"FINE." I all but shouted. Edward flinched from my words, but followed quickly after me as I stormed from the Cullen's house without saying my goodbyes. He grasped my wrist, spinning me to face him.

"Don't be like that, Bella." His face had carried the same worried expression for the past week. Worry for his sister's health. "Alice would hate herself if you became sick because of her."

I burst into tears. They flooded hot down my face as Edward pulled me tight against his chest. "I'm so worried about her, Edward." He stroked my hair as I sobbed into his shirt.

"I know, Bella, I know. We all are." It seemed difficult for him to say these words, to admit that for once, every member of his family was terrified as one of their members was slowly deteriorating from an unknown illness. Carlisle believed it was some kind of poisoning, but where Alice had contracted it, he was unsure. Vampires weren't even supposed to get sick.

"Do you think it's contagious, Edward?" I clutched at him a little tighter. He didn't reply. "Edward?" He just continued to hold me. "It is, isn't it?" Fresh tears came.

"Bella, I'm sorry!" Edward's expression became panicked when he realised he'd brought on a round of hysteria. "I didn't mean to upset you. Carlisle isn't sure if it's contagious. I guess we'll find out." He spoke the last few words slowly and darkly.

"Please don't get sick, Edward." I pleaded with him pathetically. "I can't bear to lose any of you, but especially not you. I need you." I snuggled into him.

"I need you too." He kissed my forehead. "Home time."

We climbed into his Volvo and he sped to Charlie's house. Neither of us spoke the whole way, too consumed with our thoughts, thoughts that were more like unanswerable questions.

When I arrived home, Edward announced that he wouldn't be staying that night; he wanted to speak to Carlisle about Alice's illness. For a moment I felt a horrible wave of guilt, as I realised I was slightly jealous that Alice was claiming Edward's attention. I wanted him near me so that I knew he wasn't getting sick. However, I wanted Alice to be healthy even more.

We hesitantly parted with a quick kiss on the lips and I inhaled his sweet scent as he pulled me close to him for a moment. Then he was gone.

"Hey, Dad!" I called, making my way into the kitchen. Charlie was sitting on the sofa (the big one!), watching a documentary on fishing. At the sound of my voice he turned to face me and smiled.

"Hey, Bells." He took a sip of his beer. "Nice evening at the Cullen's place?" Charlie was still somewhat cold towards me spending time over at Edward's house because of him leaving me those many months ago.

"Not really." I sighed and Charlie raised his eyebrows.

"You and Edward fighting again?" Charlie smiled smugly at the thought of this, any chance of mine and Edward's relationship ending pleased him. I glared at him.

"No, of course not, why would we fight at a time like this?" My throat got thick as I said the words. Charlie shifted in his seat, abruptly anxious at my change in tone, probably preparing for the frightful water works.

"What do you mean, "At a time like this"?" He fiddled with the can in his hands as he waited for my answer.

"Alice is really sick, Dad." I looked down, feeling moisture building up in my eyes.

"I thought you said it was just a cold?" Of course I'd had to tell Charlie that Alice only had a cold. I couldn't exactly tell him that Alice had some unknown illness that could be potentially killing her, when she wasn't even supposed to get sick...and then I would have had to tell him about her and the Cullen's being vampires. Too much too take in all at once.

"Well whatever it is has got much worse. Carlisle isn't even 100% sure what she's got." The truth of these words hit me harder every time I spoke or heard them. Alice was like a sister to me, and right now it looked like I was losing her.

"Oh, well, that's not sounding good." Charlie wasn't exactly good with words in these sorts of situations. He struggled on. "It is winter though, Bella. People are more likely to be at risk of catching something in the cold weather, just relax, Alice will be fine." I just nodded, the only thing I could say back to that was that Alice shouldn't catch an illness in any season, but then I'd have to run through all the complicated details. Sparing Charlie of these seemed like the best idea.

"I'm going to bed. Night." I turned and headed for the stairs as he mumbled a goodnight in return.

I lay under my covers, fully clothed. Being without Edward would just make sleeping even harder. Even with him here, sleeping still would have been difficult with all the questions spinning round in my head. Would Alice get any worse? Would she die? Would Edward or the rest of the Cullen's catch whatever she had?

I was only mid thought when I drifted off. I dreamed that the illness had wiped out the Cullen's, and was spreading through Forks, picking people off, one by one. Charlie sat in our lounge, coughing up his insides all over our carpet, begging me to stay away, to go back to Florida and stay with Renee. The wolves in La Push taken down one by one, Jacob being the first victim, dying in his father's arms. Eventually I contracted it, breathing my last breath alone in my empty house, Edward's face being my last thought.

My eyes snapped open.

Perhaps I had blown this all out of proportion? Maybe whatever Alice had wasn't fatal? It might not even be contagious; my worrying was just making me believe it was.

I drove to school in silence - I really didn't want to be going considering that I'd already graduated, but I had reluctantly decided to stay on for 6th form - my hands trembling with the remaining fear of the disease. I pulled into the parking lot and nodded my head at the friends who hadn't gone off to college, before pulling into an empty space. I didn't get out immediately; instead I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. However, it wasn't long before my car door was opened and I was pulled gently out.

"Bella?" Edward stared into my eyes, confused at what I'd been doing. "Everything alright?" I nodded, unsure. "I don't need to read your mind to know that's a lie, Bella." He frowned at me.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I'm just worried about Alice." Edward didn't speak. "How is she?" He slammed my door and took my hand, leading me towards the entrance of Forks High.

"Worse." He whispered, so that only I could hear. "Emmett and Jasper brought her some Elk's blood back from their hunt." He paused. "She couldn't keep it down."

I shuddered at the thought of Alice throwing up her only source of food/drink. The only thing keeping her strong wouldn't even stay within her now. I took a shaky breath in.

"Oh, Edward." I wrapped my arms around him before we entered the school.

"I'd rather not talk about this subject anymore, Bella. We're going to be late anyway." He kissed my forehead with no emotion and led me towards my A level trig. "I'll see you later." Without meeting my eyes, he turned and walked away from me.

I realised he was behaving just as he had before he'd left me. Distant and unemotional. I slid down the wall and onto the floor. Was Edward leaving me again? Were the Cullen's moving away so that they could take care of Alice without putting other lives in danger?

I was nearly certain that this was what he was planning on doing...but how could he do that to me again, when he'd promised me he wouldn't?

It was only when Mr Varner came out of my trig class and asked me what the matter was, that I realised I was crying. Pathetically I looked up at him from under my wet lashes.

"It's nothing, sir." I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. "I just don't feel too well, that's all."This was the best lie I could think of. I wondered how long it would be until Edward heard my words through Mr Varner's thoughts and came racing around the corner.

"In that case, I think you should go to the sick bay, Miss Swan." I nodded and pulled myself up. "Will you need someone to escort you there?" I shook my head.

"No thanks." Mr Varner nodded and went back into the classroom. As the door opened I heard the murmurs of my confused classmates, but they were cut off as the door closed.

I'd only taken one step before Edward was in front of me looking stressed and anxious. He cupped my face with his hands. Maybe this would be the last time I felt his hands on my face?

"I knew I shouldn't have taken you to visit Alice, yesterday. I'm so sorry, Bella. We better get you to Carlisle before you get worse." He turned and pulled my hand to leave.

"I'm not even ill, Edward." He turned to face me again.

"But you said..."

"I know. I said that because I didn't want to explain to Mr Varner why I was crying and not in his lesson." My lips trembled as I replayed my thoughts in my head. Edward cocked his head to one side.

"I'm not sure I understand, Bella?" Edward stepped back to assess me. I felt suddenly angry, and my words came pouring out.

"How could you do this to me again?" Edward's jaw dropped, but he didn't say anything. "You promised you wouldn't leave me again, Edward. Please, please, don't leave me again. You promised."


	2. Sugar, We're Going Down

"What on earth are you going on about, Bella?" Edward shook my shoulders lightly when I didn't reply instantly. He pulled me outside when he realised we were attracting the attention of our fellow pupils in their classrooms.

"I know what you're going to do!" I cried through new tears. "You're going to leave me and take Alice somewhere, so that you can treat her without putting any other lives at risk! I won't let you!" I hit his chest. I realised it was a mistake straight away when I felt the bruise begin to develop. Edward caught my hands to prevent any further damage.

"I'm not leaving you, Bella!" He crushed me to his stone chest. "You know I would never do that you again! Whatever made you think something like that?" He sounded hurt.

"You're behaving exactly as you did before you left me last time!" I collapsed into him when I realised that actually Edward wasn't going anywhere. "Sorry." I mumbled, feeling stupid. I felt the blush rush to my cheeks.

"I'm sorry too." Edward tucked a loose hair behind my ear and stroked my cheek. "I didn't mean to give you the impression that I was leaving you. I'm just extremely worried about my sister right now. You understand that don't you?"

"Of course I understand that, Edward." We held each other for a minute before deciding to return to bunk the rest of our lessons and rejoin our friends at lunch.

The rest of the week was very much the same, except Edward tried to be less distant and tried not to let Alice's illness affect him. The following week was identical, but things were comfortable, that was until Edward took me to the Cullen's house for a movie night.

I didn't have to be Jasper to notice the atmosphere and emotions as Edward led me into the house. It was dead silent and Edward had a troubled expression. Carlisle walked out of the lounge and shut the door behind him; he looked up at Edward with sad eyes.

"Oh know... is Alice..." I choked on my words and bit on my lip to prevent embarrassing, unwanted tears.

"No." Edward replied, Alice might not have been dead, but his voice sure was.

"Esme has contracted the illness, too." Carlisle sighed; I noticed he kept a large space between us. "The lounge is out of bounds, as is Alice and Jasper's room, and mine and Esme's."

"So, it's definitely contagious then, Carlisle?" I asked. Ironically, he and Edward both looked dead, as did Emmett who trudged down the staircase, dragging his feet.

"It's all I can assume. Esme has spent the most time with Alice and she has now become ill. I suppose there's quite a high risk of myself becoming infected, hence the gap between us now, Bella." I took in a sharp breath.

"Where is everyone?" I looked around the unusually lifeless house.

"Alice and Esme are resting in the lounge. Rose is upstairs, hiding away in our room, and Jasper is in the garden." Emmett answered my question before going through the kitchen. I heard the kitchen door close, so I guessed he went to join Jasper.

"I'll take Bella home." Edward took my hand and dragged me through the door. I turned quickly and waved to Carlisle who forced a parting smile and then closed the door behind us. "Alice and Esme apologise." Edward murmured as we climbed into his Volvo.

"For what?" I was shocked. They were both extremely ill and they were apologising to me?

"Ruining the evening for you." He replied dully. I couldn't even be bothered to reply, I didn't want to get into an argument with him.

Edward took me home, but before I could ask if he was staying he'd already disappeared. I walked through into mine and Charlie's lounge, ready for a similar conversation to the last one.

"Hey, Bells. How's Alice?" He kept his eyes on the television, obviously afraid of seeing any tears.

"Worse." I sighed. "Esme's caught it now too." He turned to look at me then.

"Look Bella, I know your very close with the Cullen's, and it's terrible that Esme and Alice are ill, but I don't think you should go over there or hang around with Edward until they are better. I don't want you getting sick and then me getting sick and then the entire police station getting sick, you understand, right Bells?" He huffed at the end of his sentence.

"Yeah, of course, Dad." I indicated that I was going up to bed and he nodded and wished me good night.

I was relieved to find Edward lying across my bed when I entered my room. He watched me as I silently gathered my sweats and old t-shirt and disappeared into the bathroom to change and brush my teeth.

I hummed to myself as I entered my bedroom again; not planning on making eye contact with Edward until I'd folded up my clothes and checked my emails.

I switched the computer on, impatiently clicking the mouse repetitively until the monitor came to life; it softly hummed to itself as well. Once I'd deleted 12 pieces of spam mail I opened up my daily email from my mother, Renee.

_Darling Bella,_

_How's your week been so far? Can you believe it's Wednesday already? _

_How are Edward and his lovely family? Oh and how's Charlie doing? _

_Phil and I are fabulous; he's playing so well for his team! We've really settled in _

_over here, are you sure I can't persuade you to move over here with us? _

_Please don't take hours to reply like yesterday, it makes me edgy you know? _

_Love you, Mom xxxxxxxxxxx_

My mother's emails never failed to make me laugh or roll my eyes, I did miss her a lot, but Fork's was my home now. I clicked the reply button.

_Mom,_

_My week is going well, although I did tell you that in yesterday's email _

_and the one before! Oh, and no, I can't believe it's Wednesday already, the week_

_is going fast! Edward is fine thank you, all of his family are fine, apart from Esme and Alice_

_who have contracted some sort of illness – hopefully it's just a cold. Charlie's great as usual._

_I'm glad you and Phil are fine and are happy. Thanks, but no thanks Mom, I like living in_

_Forks – you know that, even if you can't believe it. Sorry if this isn't quick enough._

_Love you, Bella xxx_

I pressed send and switched the computer off. Before I could turn towards the bed, Edward had scooped me up and carried me there. I sighed, content, as I snuggled into him. Edward tucked me under my duvet and pulled me into his chest.

"Please don't worry too much, sweetheart." Edward spoke into my hair. "I promise not too, if you don't." I giggled.

"Deal!" We shook hands quickly before snuggling up to each other again. We were silent for a moment. "Edward."

"Yes, Bella?" He pulled away to look at my face.

"What's going to happen if you get sick?" He tucked me under his chin quickly. "Edward, just answer me."

"I'm not going to get sick." He was so stubborn.

"You don't know that, Edward. For all we know you might already be infected." He didn't reply. "So what's going to happen if you are?"

"I won't come anywhere near you. As much as it hurts me to stay away, I won't put your health at risk." I frowned; I didn't want him to think of anyone but himself.

"You might be putting me at risk right now if you're infected, Edward." He pulled away from me, and in a flash he was at my window.

"In that case, I should probably go?" He said it like a question. He obviously didn't want to go; perhaps he thought I wanted him too.

"No!" I cried, getting up from the bed and throwing myself at him. I wound my arms around his neck as he scooped me up and carried me back; he tucked my duvet around me again.

"Well then I'll stay." He winked at me. I laid my head against his chest and shut my eyes, a few minutes later Edward spoke again. "Are you asleep?"

"Nearly." I mumbled and in a matter of seconds I had drifted off into a deep sleep in Edward's stone arms.


	3. Things Are Bad When The Doc Gets Sick

I hadn't been to the Cullen's house since Esme had become ill, however, without Charlie knowing I had still been seeing Edward. He picked me up for school, because Charlie would have already left by then, and dropped me off after, because Charlie wouldn't be home until later on. Every day I asked for updates, the news was usually the same, but today was different.

"Hey." I smiled at Edward as I climbed into his Volvo. He could barely force out a smile back.

"Hello." He reached over and squeezed my hand lightly, but returned it to the steering wheel in a matter of seconds and started speeding off towards our school.

"How is everyone today?" I fiddled with the bottom of my blouse as I waited for his reply.

"Esme and Alice have got to the point where they can't even get up from the sofa." I saw his knuckles turn white as he gripped the steering wheel.

"Edward, let go or loosen your grip on that wheel." I spoke quickly in the steering wheel's defence. It took him a moment to realise what I meant, but once he realised, he loosened it, the blood rushing back to his knuckles.

"How can they just be getting worse?" I threw my head into my hands.

"I have no idea, Bella." We didn't speak again until we pulled into the parking lot of the school. There was so much tension in the air; I knew that whatever he'd say next wasn't going to be good.

"Bella, there's something else." I gulped and turned to face him.

"What else, Edward?" If a vampire could cry, I swear that's what Edward was doing right now.

"Emmett and Rosalie have gotten ill too." I gawped at him.

"Edward, how is that even _possible_? Emmett and Rosalie have kept to themselves; they've avoided Alice and Esme to the point where Rosalie has all but locked herself in her room!" I threw my hands in the air as I spoke.

"I know, Bella. It's making Carlisle even question the chance of it being contagious." Edward pressed his fingers into his temple.

"Speaking of Carlisle, shouldn't he ideally be the next one to get sick? He's been close to Alice and Esme, especially Esme, and he's not ill at all?" I was so unbelievably confused.

"Carlisle is 100% healthy; this is why it doesn't make any sense. He's been locking himself in the lounge with my sister and Esme as a safety precaution to prevent whatever he might have, spreading." I was afraid Edward's fingers would snap under the amount of pressure that he was forcing into his temple. "Emmett came down last night and told Carlisle and I that Rose wasn't feeling well, she'd got a temperature and was sweating bullets. Half an hour later he was calling us from his mobile upstairs to say that he was feeling worse for wear, but neither he nor Rose had been anywhere near our mother and sister for over a week." Edward smiled my favourite crooked smile. "So, aside from my brother and sister being the latest additions to our family "sick list", things might actually be ok for the time being." I took Edward's hand in mine and grinned.

"What about a cure?" I cocked my head to one side.

"Well, ideally we need to know what is actually wrong with us, and where it came from." Edward frowned slightly.

"Sounds like a mission!" I giggled.

"Maybe so." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. "But not for you, Bella. Jasper's already working on it." I'd forgotten all about Jasper. It sounded like a horrible thing to realise, however, he'd been so distant and muted since Alice had gotten ill, that I'd barely noticed him.

"Jasper's not ill either then?" I bit down on my lip.

"Nope." Edward smiled. "But I guess that's not really surprising as Jasper hasn't really been anywhere near any of us for the past few weeks." We laughed together. "This also means you might be able to visit Alice." I let out a squeal of excitement.

"Straight after Charlie's sleeping! Please!" I was behaving like Alice would if I'd agreed to her doing my make-up or dressing me up. Maybe I'd be nice and let her do those things once she was better... I'd have to be feeling extra nice though.

"Ok, I promise! But first we have to get to class or Mr Varner is going to put us both in detention. I suppose I could dazzle him out of it though?" He winked at me. Edward would never let me live down the fact I'd admitted to him frequently dazzling me.

We went to class and spent the rest of the day in hope that eventually things would work out for the best.

"Night, Dad." I kissed Charlie's forehead and he'd blushed scarlet just before I'd gone up to my room.

"Night, Bella." He patted my arm, still recovering from the embarrassment, and I headed upstairs, my converse still laced up. I hoped Charlie hadn't noticed them, and if he had, hopefully he wasn't thinking about it too much.

I went into the bathroom and performed my usual routine so that Charlie wouldn't suspect anything. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and walked into my bedroom, where I found Edward sitting in the rocking chair.

"All set?" He asked. I nodded and he held out his hand. I took hold of it and in a matter of milliseconds he had swept me up into his arms and was cradling me like a baby.

Edward leapt onto the window sill and jumped. I felt the air swoosh past my ears and through my hair, but it wasn't long before Edward was standing upright on the ground, in one piece, me still in his arms, also in one piece.

He ran us to his house, which was still pretty lifeless on the inside. Emmett and Rosalie had joined Esme and Alice in the lounge, which was now being referred to as the "sick bay". Jasper was nowhere to be seen, but I hadn't been expecting to bump into him tonight.

To my great pleasure, Alice's eyes lit up as I walked into the lounge.

"Bella!" She croaked. I ran forward and lightly wrapped my arms around here, it felt strange having to be the one that had to be careful around people. "It's nice to finally see you!" I smiled at her.

"How are you feeling, Alice?" I bit my lip.

"Truly awful, Bella, truly and utterly awful." She shrugged.

"I'm the same, thanks for asking!" Emmett winked.

"This may have affected your health, Emmett, but it certainly hasn't affected your ability to be an idiot!" I exclaimed as the rest of the Cullen's – apart from Emmett – laughed. I winked back at him.

"Where's Jas?" Edward asked Alice.

"How am I supposed to know?" She sighed. "He briefly pops his head round the door to see how I am once a day. Apart from then, I have no idea where he is." I squeezed her hand for reassurance.

"Jasper is trying his very hardest to find out why we have ended up this way." Esme explained. Her face no longer held the glow that she usually carried everywhere with her. It was now pale and haggard; the dark circles under her eyes made me almost believe she had been punched in both.

"Esme, I don't mean to be rude, but when did you last hunt? You look so thirsty." I felt instantly rude saying this. I looked around the room at the rest of the Cullen's, everyone apart from Edward and Carlisle had the same dark circles. "When was the last time any of you hunted?" I fiddled with the bracelet on my left wrist anxiously.

"We can't keep any blood down, Bella, so it's been pointless trying." Rosalie snapped at me. Emmett cautioned her with his eyes, but before anything else was said, Carlisle stood up, looking slightly wobbly on his legs.

"Carlisle?" If she hadn't been so weak, Esme looked as if she would have launched from the sofa to her husband's aid. Carlisle raised his hand to tell her that he was ok, but he most definitely didn't look ok.

"Oh, fabulous!" Alice wailed. "Now the only Dr in the house is sick too!"

Carlisle collapsed into the nearest armchair and put his head in his hands, I noticed that his forehead was shiny and his skin looked a little flushed. I ran forward and laid the back of my hand on his head – he was burning hot.

"Carlisle, you have a serious temperature!" I took a step backwards feeling slightly overwhelmed, straight into Edward's arms. "So much for feeling 100%." I mumbled into Edward's ear. He didn't reply.

Rosalie threw him a blanket that was draped over the back of the chair she lounged in and Carlisle hesitantly tucked it around himself.

"It's ok to look weak once in a while you know, Carlisle." I reassured him, he could only smile back.

"This just doesn't make sense anymore!" Edward moaned. He collapsed into a heap on the floor and ran his hands through his impossible hair.

"I can't even see my visions anymore. I'm going to end up back in an asylum." Alice sounded so little and vulnerable huddled under her blanket, she was barely visible behind the overly large cushion that was propping her up on the sofa.

"I promise you, Alice, you will not end up back there." Carlisle stared into her eyes as he said it, and he most definitely meant it.

"It's so bazaar." Esme began. "Alice and I had only recently hunted when we got ill; when we've hunted we're supposed to be at our strongest! Instead it's weakened us." Esme sobbed tearlessly.

Whatever happened next happened fast. Jasper flew into the room, startling everyone, especially me.

"I've got it!" He announced. "Thanks to Esme, I think I know what's happened!" A smile spread broadly across his face.

"Well, are you going to share it with us, Jas, or stand there grinning like the Cheshire cat?" Emmett grumbled from the corner, under his thick blanket. It was like an old people's home, but I thought I better not share that with everyone.

Jasper walked over to Alice and took hold of her hands, stroking the back of them with his thumbs. He cleared his throat and began.


	4. Theories & Wolves

"Think about it, guys. Esme and Ally were the first ones to hunt recently and in a matter of days they've both got this illness. Carlisle, Emmett and Rosalie were the second group to hunt, but that was days later than Esme and Ally, and funnily enough, they have got the disease days later." I looked around to see if anyone else was as blank as I was. All of the Cullen's were staring curiously at Jasper, waiting for more. He sighed.

"Jasper, are you trying to say that what we've been hunting is what has done this to us?" Carlisle leaned forward, completely interested.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say, Carlisle." I noticed that Edward had got to his feet and was now standing beside me, listening intently to Jasper's explanation. "Whatever we've picked up, is obviously being carried in the blood of the animals that we've been drinking from. Somehow, they've become diseased."

"Something they are eating?" Rosalie asked.

"I don't think that's as likely, Rose, I think it's probably something else." He looked around the room, as if expecting someone to fire another suggestion at him.

"Something they are_ drinking_?" I asked hesitantly.

"Exactly, Bella." Jasper smiled at me quickly before returning his attention to the rest of his family. "And I'll bet it's that water that runs through the forest." Jasper finished, satisfied.

"I'm intrigued, Jasper." Carlisle laughed. "You've really thought this through, and I really think you're on to something here." I had a quick run through Jasper's explanation, and something worried me. He'd noticed a pattern, the order that they'd hunted in, was the order in which they were catching the illness.

"Wait!" I cried. Every member of the Cullen's turned to face me. "Jasper, you noticed that your family were getting sick in the order that they had hunted in... surely you and Edward, you're going to get sick in a matter of days? You hunted a few days after Carlisle, Rose and Emmett." I felt Edward wind his arm around my waist and pull me close as tears pricked up in my eyes.

"Calm down, sweetheart." Edward kissed my forehead as my breathing became ragged. Alice seemed to be edgy too. She pulled Jasper closer to her.

"Are you feeling any different, Jas?" She put her hand on his forehead, but she showed no shocked or worried expressions, so I presumed he was the normal temperature. Jasper shook his head in reply. "What about you, Edward?" I clutched Edward's chest, waiting for his answer.

"I feel absolutely fine right now. I think I'm going to take Bella home." Before I had a chance to register what was going on, Edward had swept me up and carried me to the end of the driveway.

"Edward?" I whispered, it was so quiet that it would not have been audible for human ears.

"Yes, love." He replied, not at all fazed by Jasper's explanation.

"Are you going to be ok?" This was a stupid question really; if Edward got sick then of course he wasn't going to be ok. "I meant, how long do you think it'll be until you get sick?" I stumbled over my words.

"I really don't know, Bella." His voice was low now; there was an edge to it that I didn't recognise. Maybe fear? I'd never heard fear in Edward's voice before. "It could be a matter of days or weeks. Don't forget, sweetheart, we know for a fact it's not contagious, we can still see each other, although, I'm not entirely sure I want you seeing me like that."

"How are you going to all lay in that lounge, feeling sorry for yourselves with no-one able to find a cure?" I wrapped my arms around myself just as I'd done when Edward had left. If it was possible for him to die of this illness then the hole would rip itself open, and create a fresh wound.

"Jasper and I will just have to make the most of everyday, doing what we can to find a cure." He smiled at me for reassurance, but the smile did not touch his eyes. His eyes were sad and anxious.

Edward started running, and a few seconds and a couple of jumps later, I was under my duvet, wrapped in his stone arms. I rolled over so that my back was to him, I wasn't angry with him or anything, but tears were once again dribbling down my cheeks, and I didn't want him to see.

"Thank goodness we know what's going on now; I thought I was going to lose it when Carlisle went wobbly at the knees!" He snickered and I sniffed. "Bella?" Edward rolled me back to face him, I tried to hold my ground, but it was useless. "Bella, are you crying?" Edward trapped one of the tears with his finger and wiped it away. "Oh, Bella." He tucked me under his chin as I cried silently.

"I just really don't want you to get sick!" I sobbed pathetically. "I'd hate for you to feel so awful. I think I'm beginning to understand how you feel when I get hurt." Edward laughed.

"Maybe now you won't be so stubborn about letting me help you in those times of need then?" I stuck my tongue out.

"Don't get your hopes up!" I winked at him in the darkness and then said more seriously. "You being sick won't stop me from seeing you, Edward. I want to look after you!" I took his face in my hands and leant my forehead to his. His cool breath blew into my face and I closed my eyes, content.

"Sleep time, Nurse Bella!" Edward poked my nose and I laid my head on his chest. Shortly after that I went out like a light.

That weekend Charlie went fishing and Edward and Jasper were in forest to check the water and the animals that they usually hunted for some clues that would lead them to a cure.

The day before, Edward had updated me that him and Jasper were still going strong, but in the early hours of the morning Jasper had noticed his ability to manipulate emotions had become less easy, which Carlisle believed was an indication that the illness was in his system. Edward had promised me that so far he was still able to read everybody's minds, except mine, which put me at ease.

I had no incomplete homework and Charlie's dinner was already in the fridge, so I decided to visit Jacob. I'd spoken to him on the phone last week and filled him in with the details of the Cullen's illness, but I hadn't yet explained to him why they'd become ill in the first place. He'd gotten a kick out of the town vampires being sick which I'd scolded him for.

I pulled up outside his house and as usual, he ran down his porch to greet me, his big grin on his face.

"Yo, Bella!" Jacob pulled me out the car and into a bone crushing hug.

"Hey, Jake!" I laughed as I struggled to get free from his inhuman grip. "I've got a lot to talk to you about today!" I slammed the Chevy door shut and locked it.

"I've got to admit, Bells, the pack are seriously finding the Cullen's illness hilarious. Don't be too offended if they start laughing when your mid-sentence!" Jacob snorted.

"What do you mean, Jake? Aren't we just going inside?" I indicated towards his house where I saw Billy waving through the window. I waved back.

"Actually we're going down to the beach, the pack is waiting, and they want to hear this too." He smirked and gestured for us to walk.

"Jacob." I glared up at him. "This isn't a joke; the pack isn't going to be seeing some sort of stand-up comedy, besides this is really serious. For all we know the Cullen's could die from this." This only made Jacob erupt into a fit of laughter, it bounced off of the surrounding trees. "I'll go home, Jacob. I'm warning you."

Jake stopped laughing and his expression softened. With a huge sigh, he nodded and led me down to La Push's beach. As we walked over the sand I remembered how this had been where Jacob had first told me about the Cullen's supposedly being vampires. Embarrassingly enough I also remembered how I'd flirted with him to get this information, I blushed.

"I'm not a good public speaker by the way." I grimaced at him.

"You're not running for President, Bella, this isn't a speech." He laughed at my bewildered expression. "We just want to know what's going on." Obviously the pack were never going to be worried about the Cullen's health, any information they sought would just be to make themselves feel better. They'd love the fact that there was a possibly that all of the Cullen's would be too ill to find a cure.

"Let's just get this over with, Jake. I was hoping to come down here today, to explain everything to my best friend and spend some time with him, not explaining everything to his pack of huge, bare-chested wolves!"

"Bella, you worry too much!" I stuck my tongue out at him, but my jokey moody was abruptly over taken by anxiety, as the pack came into view.

They were all sat in a circle when we reached them. I noticed a few new additions to the pack, tall, gangly boys, barely the age of 16. This was the only thing I detested the Cullen's for; it was because of the vampire's existence in the area that caused the transformation from innocent teenager to daring werewolf. Putting your life in danger at 16 just seemed unfair. I also noticed that Leah was still the only female.

"Bella!" Seth waved at me from his seat. "How are you and Edward?" The rest of the wolves rolled their eyes or put their heads in their hands, but I smiled, Seth was definitely the politest werewolf.

"Hey, Seth. I'm great thanks; fortunately Edward is too, for the time being." I heard some of the pack snicker at the thought of Edward getting ill.

"Do you want to hear the news or not? If you keep laughing, I'll go home." I felt myself blush scarlet as I snapped at them furiously. They all laughed behind their hands, apart from Seth and Sam.

"Fire away, Bella." Sam answered in his alpha tone. "We'll stay quiet, right guys?"

"Speak for yourself!" Leah muttered bitterly, but the others nodded and murmured that they would keep quiet.

"Ok, well." I stood facing them and cleared my throat. "A few weeks ago, some of you will know that Alice got really sick. Obviously vampires aren't really supposed to get ill, but Alice had symptoms including a high temperature, sweating, feeling cold and even more recently, she'd lost her visions." A wolf snorted and Sam glared at him. "Carlisle didn't think it was contagious until Esme caught the same illness, with the same symptoms. He kept himself with Esme and Alice but he didn't get sick, in fact, it was Rosalie and Emmett who got the illness next, and they hadn't been socialising with the family. However, earlier on this week Carlisle did get ill, but thankfully Jasper realised what was happening." I remembered to breathe before continuing, but one of the wolves interrupted me rudely.

"Get on with it, Bella! I want to know what little thing is making your bloodsuckers so low!" It was Embry who spoke. I turned and began to walk away, but Jacob gripped my arm.

"Shut it, Embry!" Jake spoke away from me at first, but then whispered in my ear. "C'mon, Bells, don't go, ignore Embry, you know he's a dick." I couldn't help but laugh at that. With a huff I turned and walked back.

"Are you going to listen, Embry?" I glared at him and he rolled his eyes. I thought I wasn't going to get anywhere, but eventually Embry nodded his head. The wolves watched me as I took my position again to speak.

"Jasper reckons that the animals that the Cullen's have been drinking from are carrying the illness in their blood. It's likely that they've picked it up from whatever they are drinking, probably the water that flows through the forest, however I have no idea what's in the water. We're hoping Edward and Jasper will find that out today." I looked at Sam.

"How does Jasper know that it is from the animals in the forest?" He looked at me with questioning eyes.

"Because the order, in which the Cullen's are getting sick, is the order in which they went hunting recently. They weren't ill or feeling ill before they hunted, so this is the most likely cause."

Embry burst out laughing. "That means Jasper and Edward are going to get sick soon then?"

"Shut up, Embry!" Sam shouted. Embry flushed with embarrassment and the wolves chuckled at his telling off. "If you interrupt again, you'll be running double-shifts for two weeks straight!" This made the rest of the wolves laugh harder.

"Bella." It was Seth's voice. "What's going to happen to the Cullen's if they all get sick?"

"Hopefully they'll curl up and die." Leah muttered, I pretended I hadn't heard her.

"Well, hopefully they'll find a cure before that happens. If not, I was thinking that maybe if they found some clues, I might be able to find the cure for them." I looked down, embarrassed.

"Bella, you can't do that all by yourself, the world of vampires isn't even for you anyway!" Quil protested against my wishes.

"The Cullen's have been good to us." Sam said suddenly, shocking his pack. "Dr. Cullen looked after Jacob when the newborns attacked, they've let us finally sink our teeth into some vampires and they've never really caused us any harm."

"What are you implying, Sam?" Jacob asked.

"I'm saying, there's only one thing for it. If Jasper and Edward become sick before a cure is found, then we'll help Bella to find the cure for them." Sam glanced cautiously at each of his pack, obviously not sure what reactions to expect.

"ARE YOU INSANE!" Leah shrieked. "They are _scum_, Sam. It's because of them that we are how we are. If it wasn't for them then we would never have got into the newborn mess in the first place."

Suddenly Leah was charging towards me, before I could react she'd shoved me to the ground, but before any more damage could be caused, Jacob and Seth leapt forward to restrain her.

"Calm down, Leah!" Seth begged his sister, she snarled at him.

"How can you be taking her side? She's just as much of a leech as they are. She doesn't deserve our help! I don't care if our fathers were friends, she's nothing to me. Nothing." I felt my eyes pricking up with tears at Leah's harsh words. I pulled myself to my feet and took a few steps back.

"I think I'm going to go now. Thanks for your time." I turned to walk away again.

"Wait!" Embry cried. "Can we get sick too?"

I turned to look at him. "Have you been drinking the water or feeding off the animals on your side of the forest?"

"We don't drink or feed in our wolf forms unless we have to phase for a long period of time. We're all safe." Sam reassured his tense pack. "Come and see us when both Edward and Jasper get sick, Bella."

"Will do, Sam. I'll see you around, Jake. Bye, Seth." I waved in the pack's general direction and jogged back to my truck, as I went I heard Leah's parting words.

"SCUM."


	5. You Have Failed

I sat on the Cullen's lounge carpet, leant up against the sofa that Alice was curled up on. She was busy complimenting and turning her nose up at outfits in her fashion magazine and I had my nose buried in _Wuthering Heights_. Esme was silently sketching on a notepad that was resting on her knees, but I couldn't help notice that her hands were unsteady and shaking.

Carlisle had swapped sofas with Emmett and Rosalie and was now tucked up beside Esme with his eyes closed, his expression deep in thought. Emmett and Rosalie had been miserable since I'd arrived back at the Cullen's after my visit to La Push. Alice had confided in me that they'd been miserable all day because of being stuck inside and it wasn't because of my presence.

We were all keeping ourselves entertained as we waited for the return of Edward and Jasper, in hope they had some ideas about obtaining a cure for the Cullen's illness. Although my eyes were focused on the words of _Wuthering Heights, _I was actually worrying about how I was going to break the news to Edward that if he and Jasper became ill, I was planning on getting the cure for him, with the help of the wolves. He most definitely would not like that.

"Rose, will you and Emmett please crack a smile?" Alice frowned at her siblings, as she peered over the top of her magazine.

"There's nothing to smile about!" Rosalie snapped. "Unless Edward and Jas return with the cure in hand, I honestly don't see any reason why we should be smiling."

"Please try not to be so negative, sweetie." Esme whispered from her seat, Carlisle's eyes snapped open.

"Jasper and Edward are clever boys; they'll at least come back with something to lead us to a cure." He shivered under his blanket.

"Do you want another blanket, Carlisle?" I asked, pulling myself to my feet.

"No thank you, Bella." He smiled at me before leaning his head back and closing his eyes again.

"Let's have a bit of quiet before the boys get back; I'm sure they'll have a lot to say." Esme chuckled and went back to her drawing. I sat myself on the carpet again and leant my head against Alice's knees. She patted my head.

"If I had my visions, Bella, I'd say you were up to something." I looked up at her and she glared at me. "What's going on?" I shook my head.

"Nothing, Alice." She didn't look convinced, but she let it drop, and went back to her magazine.

"This dress would look great on your figure, Bella." She held the magazine up in front of me, pointing at a deep blue above the knee dress that had frills around the neckline. Completely hideous in my opinion and definitely not something that I would have chosen for myself.

I rolled my eyes. "No way, Alice." She stared into my eyes for a moment, obviously trying to persuade me, but she had no such luck and went back to flicking through the pages. Everyone was silent for the next half hour; I watched the clock and counted each minute that went by. When 30 minutes had passed, Edward and Jasper raced through the door at inhuman speed.

"Edward!" I squealed, hauling myself up and throwing myself at him. Edward picked me up and spun me round before crushing me against his rock hard chest.

"Bella!" He breathed into my hair and kissed my forehead. Too soon, he pulled away. "No offence, love, but you reek of wolf." He wrinkled his nose.

"We've had to put up with that since she got here." Emmett scowled at us. I stuck my tongue out at him childishly.

"Never mind Bella and her smell, tell us what you found!" Rosalie cried, snarling my name. Edward glared at her and moved his mouth as if he was about to say something, but Jasper began answering her question.

"We can confirm that the animals picked up the disease from the water in the forest, Edward and I tested the water, its nasty stuff, completely toxic, we're not sure what's contaminated it though." Jasper looked around at his family.

"And!" Rosalie cried.

"We're going to have to do further research before we can find the cure." Jasper looked apologetically at Alice and Carlisle. Seconds later, Rosalie screamed. I'd never heard a vampire scream before, but it was definitely one of the most horrible noises in the world, even with their beautiful voices it was horrific. Instantly it reminded me of nails being dragged along a blackboard, making the hairs on my arms stand up. Frightened, I looked up at Edward who just stood there rolling his eyes.

"Drama queen comes to mind, Rose?" Edward glared at his sister- who even in a moment of complete fury - looked beautiful. Rosalie turned to look at Edward and in flash put her middle finger up at him. Emmett burst out laughing, but ended briefly when Rosalie's hand cracked against his cheek.

"STOP THIS!" Carlisle bellowed as loudly as his weak vocal chords could manage. "I will not let this disease turn my family into complete animals. Edward, would you please not wind up your sister and go research this damn cure!" Edward and Jasper who had clearly heard Carlisle in a rage before both rolled their eyes and left the room. I on the other hand, stood gawping at Carlisle, open mouthed, as he settled back down into the sofa.

"Close your mouth, Bella, it's rude." Alice snapped at me from behind her magazine. I looked helplessly around the room, unsure what to do. I felt out of place being there, they all had something to do, even the sick ones.

"I'm going home." The Cullen's all looked up at me questioningly.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, Bella." Carlisle's forehead creased with frustration and worry.

"No, no." I fiddled with my shirt. "I don't want to be getting in the way." Before anyone could prevent my exit, I mumbled my goodbyes and stepped out onto the porch of the Cullen's house.

The fresh air felt good, even though I couldn't catch what the Cullen's had, I was still able to feel the illness filling the entire space of their lounge. I hurried down to my truck when I heard the front door open behind me. I turned to see Edward in the doorway.

"Why are you leaving?" Edward's face clouded with disappointment.

"Because I'm tired and I want to go home." I dug my foot into the dirt on the ground.

"I can drive you?" He said this like a question.

"No, go find that cure." I smiled up at him. "I'll probably see you tomorrow." Edward nodded at me.

"Goodnight, love you." I blushed, those words coming out of a mouth as perfect as Edward's got me every time.

"I love you too." I climbed into my truck and drove away, watching his face disappear in my rear-view mirror.

As I drove I began to worry that time was running out. I had hoped that Edward and Jasper would have either returned with a cure idea or the cure itself, but it looked like I was going to have to go and find it with the wolves. Also, this was something that would have to be shared with Edward, but I hoped that maybe he'd be so sick that he wouldn't fully realise what I was telling him I was going to do.

Surprisingly, Charlie hadn't waited up for me, but the porch and kitchen lights were still on and there was a note on the work top.

_Bells, sorry I didn't wait up for you. Had an early start_

_this morning and got another one tomorrow. Billy's invited me out _

_fishing again at a new spot, Dad x_

I smiled as I read through Charlie's words and then made my way to my room. As I silently crossed the landing, I heard Charlie's snores, so loud that I could almost feel them vibrating through the floorboards. I dodged the squeaky floorboard and darted into my room where I quickly slipped into my night clothes and without brushing my teeth, climbed under the duvet. I was so exhausted that brushing my teeth really didn't seem important; I'd just have to remember to give them a good clean in the morning.

I dreamt of being locked in a store cupboard. The room was full of shelves loaded with vials of different coloured liquids that bubbled away, letting off peculiar smells. I was holding a laminated sheet; the sheet had 3 words written on it in large font:

_FIND THE CURE_

I paced the room panicking, and begun pulling things off of the shelves, sending them hurtling to the ground where they smashed and disappeared into the stone floor. I was looking for something obvious, something that was labelled with _"CURE"_, except there was nothing. All of the labels were written in a foreign language that I didn't understand. When all the shelves were clear, I spun round to face a TV screen that showed the Cullen's in their lounge. The camera panned around the room, showing each family member individually, they were all lying motionless on their sofas, their eyes shut. Words popped up on the screen:

YOU HAVE FAILED

I screamed and fell to my knees as the screen showed Edward's lifeless body, huddled under a blanket.

I woke up screaming.


	6. Paul, Queensland Is In Australia

The next morning I was so tired that I could barely keep my eyes open. The nightmare had knocked the hope out of me that the Cullen's would get better and Edward and Jasper would only have days if not hours left until they became sick, and yet there was still no cure.

Charlie had left early again, as I'd expected, so the house was quiet, quiet enough for me to think, and that's exactly what I didn't want to do. I was tired of replaying everything over in my head, only to remember that I hit a dead end every time.

I picked at my Pop-Tart until I eventually gave up on the idea of eating breakfast altogether, and threw it in the bin. At this rate I would have to resort to my emergency plan, which was to get the cure myself, but I hadn't had the guts to explain this to Edward yet, who would most likely not let me go.

After scrubbing at my teeth with impatient force, making my gums bleed, I yanked a brush through my hair, threw on the first clothes that my hands touched, laced up my converse, and raced to my truck.

I tripped and fell twice, scraping my hands on gravel of our driveway. I barely registered that I'd scuffed my hands; I was too focused on spending as much time with Edward as possible. I gripped the steering wheel with my stinging palms and shoved the key in the ignition, turning it quickly. It roared to life.

I checked my palms for blood before pulling up on the Cullen's driveway, one of them attacking me would be the last thing anyone needed. I jumped out my truck and hurried towards the house, however, something wasn't right. Edward would have usually been on the porch by now, expecting me.

As I approached the door, I noticed it was open slightly, obviously the Cullen's had been expecting me. My fingers trembled as I reached for it, what if this meant Edward and Jasper were ill now? We'd totally run out of time.

"Hello?" I called out as I stepped in. I didn't necessarily need to call out, the Cullen's would have heard even a whisper, but I wasn't entirely sure there super senses were on form right now.

No-one replied, or stepped out to greet me, not even Jasper or Edward, assuming they were still healthy. I ran to the lounge door and threw it open. The Cullen's snapped up to look at me, their eyes were apologetic. As I scanned the room I noticed a new member of the sick bay – Jasper.

Jasper was barely visible behind his blanket, and he appeared to be sulking. He hung his head when I burst into the room and pulled the blanket further up over his face.

"I can see you, Jasper." I mumbled, his eyes glanced at me, but went back to looking down shortly after.

"I'm terribly sorry that we didn't hear you, Bella." Esme apologised, she ran her hands through her limp hair.

"It looks as though we're actually turning deaf!" Emmett grunted from the corner. I bit my lip, not sure if this was meant to be funny or not. Thankfully Alice chuckled from her seat.

"So, Jasper's sick now then?" I asked stupidly. I wasn't really sure what to say, it felt so awkward, I just needed to make conversation.

"Unfortunately, yes." Carlisle sighed.

"Is there any news on the cure?" I asked as my voice trembled slightly. Jasper suddenly appeared from under his blanket, his eyes lit up.

"Indeed!" He pushed the blanket into his lap as Alice smiled to him. "Edward and I did some research last night, we've been through all the books in Carlisle's collection and we've discovered that there is a coven in Queensland, Australia that lives in the Daintree rainforest. They are extremely old, however, they know everything there is to know about disease and cures for our kind."

"Then why aren't any of you happy about this?" I scanned their faces again; they still looked lifeless and empty.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rosalie snapped at me, I shrugged. "None of us are actually able to go and speak to them, remember?" She said it slowly, pronouncing each letter, as if I was thick.

"I'm not 3, Rosalie." I blushed, realising that back-chatting Rosalie was probably not one of my brightest ideas. She growled. "What about Edward? Where is he?" I looked around, expecting to see my precious boyfriend tucked up under a blanket.

"Edward isn't sick yet." Alice explained. "He's got a serious headache, but he's not sick. I think he's up in his room." She looked up, indicating to Edward being upstairs.

"Thanks, Alice." I slipped out the room quietly and ran up the stairs to Edward's room. His door was closed, so I decided to be polite and knock.

"Why aren't you tucked up, Alice?" Edward's voice was angry and frustrated. Hadn't he smelt that it was me? I was his singer after all. It hit me then, things really were that bad. What if the sickness affected how Edward felt about me?

"It's me, Edward, its Bella." I pushed the door open to find Edward sitting on the edge of the large bed he'd bought for me to sleep on. His fingers were pushed firmly into his temple. "Edward?" I approached slowly.

Edward turned his head to face me and I gasped. His face was sallow and haggard, his cheekbones were overly prominent and the twinkle from his eyes was gone. It was as if he'd died inside, I burst into tears but Edward made no move to comfort me as my knees buckled and I collapsed on the floor.

"Oh, Edward." I choked through my tears. Suddenly he was knelt in front of me on the floor; he stared anxiously into my watery eyes.

"Bella, I think you should go. I can't bear seeing this affect you; it feels worse than the sickness." He sounded as if he was crying now, only I knew he couldn't. He was crying tearlessly.

"I don't want to leave you, Edward. I want to look after you just as you've always looked after me. It's only fair." I reached out to him, but he grasped my hands with his and held them away from his body.

"Please, Bella." He stared deep into me. "Please, just go. I really don't want to make you upset." I pulled myself up and stepped away from him.

"You still love me don't you Edward? You're still going to want me when you recover, right?" Edward winced slightly and groaned as his hands flung to his head which was clearly agony. Perhaps now wasn't the best time for these questions, but I wasn't going to let this sickness come between us. "Right, that's it." I announced. "I'm going to deal with this myself." Edward looked up at me shocked, but before he could speak I sprinted out of his room and straight into my truck.

I fought back the tears as I drove too quickly to La Push. Furiously I flung my door open and slammed it shut with just as much force. As I hurried to Jacob's house I sensed someone was behind me, I spun round and gasped.

"It's really come to this then?" Sam asked. The whole pack was standing watching me, as they took in my tear stained face and troubled expression. I nodded weakly.

"All of them are sick, now." I caught my breath as the tears came again. "Edward won't even let me near him." I bit down on my lip and looked up as Jacob hurried towards me and crushed me against his chest.

"It's going to be ok, Bella. As much as we hate leeches, we promise to help you with this. Sam has already said we'd help you find the cure. Just give us the details and we'll get right on it." He stroked my hair but I pulled away from him.

"I'm coming with you!" I exclaimed. "I have to come with you. I can't stay here and watch them getting more ill by the second. I can't stand it anymore. I hate this fucking illness."

The pack laughed at my bad language, but looked at Sam more seriously, waiting for his command.

"Where exactly are we going, Bella?" Sam asked.

"Jasper said there's a coven in Queensland that knows everything about cures and diseases for vampires." I stared at the ground, embarrassed by my crying.

"Australia!" Paul asked, shocked.

"Well done, Paul." Jared clapped sarcastically. "Queensland is in Australia, clever boy!" The pack laughed again as Paul glared at Jared.

"Bella, if going to visit a coven of vampires is what we have to do to get this cure, then wouldn't it be safer for you to remain behind? I hardly doubt they will be on the same diet as the Cullens." Jacob asked.

"They won't be on the same diet, for sure. But I am coming with you. I want to help, and by the way, this isn't optional. You are taking me with you." Everyone rolled their eyes.

"Well I guess that's settled then." Sam sighed.

"Sure is." I agreed.

"Well I don't think we can run to Australia." Brady laughed. "Looks like we're going by plane boys!" I realised from this that Leah wasn't present. I wasn't entirely bothered; it made this whole thing a whole lot easier to deal with.

"Woah, hang on." Sam said in his alpha tone. "We're not all going." There were some curses and groans from the pack. "Jacob and I, Paul and Seth will go with Bella to Australia. The rest of you will remain here to protect La Push, as usual." The ones whose names hadn't been called groaned and cursed even more.

"Why's Seth going!" Collin cried in frustration.

"Because Seth and Bella get on well. We want her to feel comfortable." Jacob snorted at Sam's reply but I ignored him.

"When are we off then?" I asked enthusiastically.

"We better go and speak to the Cullens first." Sam replied. I bit down on my lip; this wasn't going to go down well with Edward.


	7. We're Going To Help You

Sam, Jacob, Paul, Seth and I approached the Cullen's house cautiously. We didn't want to alarm them, especially when they were feeling the way that they were. We decided it would be best for me to go in first and explain the situation, so, shaking all over, I stepped into the house and into the lounge where to my surprise, Edward had joined them.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." Edward said. "I didn't mean to make you think what you did; you know I'll always love you." He reached his arms out for me, but I shook my head and smiled at him.

"I know, Edward. But I'm here to talk to you...with some of the pack." The Cullen's all sat upright, glaring at me.

"What have you done now, you stupid girl!" Rosalie cried, burying her face into Emmett's shoulder.

"Just hear us out, please!" I begged.

"Of course, Bella. Invite them in, we're happy to listen." Carlisle assured me it was fine, so I signalled for the boys from the front door and they joined me in the lounge.

I heard Emmett snarl as Jacob, Sam, Seth and Paul entered. I hurried over to Edward and he pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist. His forehead had become sweaty since I'd left, and I could feel him shaking as he held me. I pulled the blanket around us both, making sure it was mostly tucked around him.

"We've come to talk with you." Sam announced, he directed it mostly at Carlisle.

"Please go ahead." Carlisle said warmly.

"Bella came to see us a while ago. She explained to us the situation with your illness and how you were looking for a cure at the time. We want you to know that we are extremely grateful to you for looking after our Jacob and for allowing us to help you with the newborns." Sam scanned the room. "And so, we promised Bella that if a cure had not been found by the time that you all became sick, then we would personally help her find it herself." I took a deep breath waiting for Edward's reaction.

"You are not taking Bella to the coven in Australia, absolutely not." Edward all but shouted. "I won't allow it!"

"Edward, you aren't my father!" I moaned. "I want to help you, and I am going to go whether you want me to or not."

"This is extremely kind of you." Carlisle said, shocked. "We'd never ask this of you, I don't want you to feel that you need to do this because of helping Jacob. It was my job to look after him; I am a doctor after all."

"Please allow us to do this for you, we promised Bella." Sam glanced towards me.

"If this is definitely what you want to do, then we will be forever grateful, but I'm not sure if Bella should join you. It's not what Edward wants."

"No, it's definitely not what I want." Edward snarled. I leapt off his lap and faced him.

"The pack won't let anything happen to me, Edward! I'll be back before you know it, I promise." I pleaded with him.

"You'll be on the other side of the world to me, Bella; I won't be able to bear it." He looked down.

"You have to try, Edward! Besides, the only thing you need to think about is getting better." I smiled at him reassuringly, but somehow, I knew I'd already won. I was going to Australia to get the cure.

"At least allow us to pay for your flights." Esme begged.

"If that makes you feel more comfortable about it, then ok." Sam did all the talking for the boys, who just stood in the lounge, looking extremely uncomfortable. I could see that Emmett and Paul were sizing each other up, I couldn't help but snicker.

"When are you planning on leaving?" Jasper pressed.

"As soon as possible." Sam explained. "This week if it can be arranged."

"It'll be cheaper if they are booked for this week, also." Paul added. Everything was finally coming together, I'd be able to participate in healing the Cullens and then everything would return to normal. Perhaps even the friendship between the Cullens and the pack would grow from this.

"We'll book the flights for you for tomorrow night. I'll have Edward call Bella to confirm this, and she can let you know. Will that give you enough time?" Carlisle reached for the laptop that was on the table beside him.

"That will be fine." Sam confirmed. "We'll see you when we return."

"Thank you ever so much, Sam." Esme chimed, it was the happiest I'd seen her in ages.

"Yeah, thanks man." Emmett added, giving him a little nod of the head. I smiled to myself; finally things between the two kinds were working.

"Good luck, we'll make sure Bella has all the details. What are you going to do about Charlie?" I'd almost completely forgotten about my father and gasped.

"I never thought about that!" I ran my hand through my hair as Edward watched me anxiously, probably hoping that I'd stay because I wouldn't want Charlie to worry about me.

"Don't worry, Bells, I'll make sure Dad sorts something out." Jacob assured me, I knew that Billy would probably be kept informed with the situation anyway, so this was quite a good plan. I was sure I saw Edward roll his eyes and scowl in Jacob's direction.

The pack left and I remained in the lounge, centre of attention.

"I really don't like this, Bella, but you're so stubborn, it doesn't look like I have a choice. If I wasn't so sick, I'd make sure you wouldn't be going." Edward scowled at _me_ now.

"Yeah well you are very sick, Edward, so shut up!" Alice snapped at him. She turned her attention to me. "Be careful out there, Bella, there's all sorts of insects and things in the rainforest that can harm you. You better hope the wolves bring you back in one piece. Oh, pack sensible clothes!" I laughed; Alice would be the one thinking about what I was going to be packing clothes wise.

I looked over to Jasper who was hurriedly scribbling on a piece of paper, when he was finished; he thrust it in my hand.

"These are the details on how to find the coven. Their leader is called Apari; his coven consists of 3 other members, two women; Coorah and Ellin and one other male; Mandu. Obviously they don't follow the same diet as us, so you'll have to gain their trust before getting into things. Carlisle and Apari know of each other, so this may make things a little easier." I nodded at Jasper, taking all the information in.

"Explain the symptoms and situation to Apari, and Coorah and Ellin will hopefully have a cure for you." Alice added on the end. "Apari and Mandu know about the diseases, but the women have the knowledge about the cures." Alice winked at me.

Not long after, Emmett reached into a drawer behind him and produced a key, he handed it to me.

"Unlock the chest over there, Bella." He pointed towards an ancient wooden chest that was hidden away next to a bookcase. I hurried over and twisted the key in the lock, it snapped open. I heaved open the lid to find myself staring at piles of foreign money.

"Pick up a few piles of the Australian dollars." Jasper said quickly. I grabbed 3 piles and locked the chest.

"Why do you have all this money?" I asked shocked.

"It's just in case of emergencies in other countries like this." Esme explained. "We haven't robbed banks all over the world if that's what you're thinking!" She laughed. The Cullens provided me with a bag and I threw the money and the details into it at once. My body was pumping with adrenaline, I couldn't wait to find the cure and get back.

"I'll wait up for your call." I smiled at Edward. "I can't wait to finally be the one saving someone!" Everyone but Rosalie and Edward smiled at me. I went round and said goodbye to each other the Cullens, Carlisle kissed my forehead and passed me on to Esme who hugged me tightly and wished me good luck. Emmett punched my arm, lightly, and Rosalie glared at me. Alice hugged and kissed me and then complained that she'd seen me wearing this shirt twice this week. I rolled my eyes and moved onto Jasper who wished me good luck and patted my shoulder. Then it was Edward.

"If anything happens to you out there, I'm holding the wolves responsible." I nodded at him. "Please try not to get yourself killed anymore than you already are by going to visit a coven of human-blood drinking vampires. I'll be waiting for you when you get back, I love you." His words poured out of his mouth, but finally I was in his arms and he was kissing me. We forgot about his watching family and kissed so passionately that we could have set the room on fire, but eventually Edward pulled away.

"I love you too." I whispered. "I'll be fine, I promise." I said goodbye one more time and left their house. I smiled all the way home, even when Charlie was questioning me about what I'd been doing all day.

Before I went up to bed, I kissed his cheek and gave him a big hug.

"What's all that about?" He asked, blushing, as I pulled away.

"I just don't do it enough." I exclaimed, still smiling. "Night, Dad." He nodded at me, still recovering from embarrassment, and I headed up to my room.

Upon entering my room, I quietly closed my door and pulled my suitcase out from under my bed. I stared at it for a few minutes, until I decided this wouldn't be suitable for a journey through the rainforest, and so swapped it for a large rucksack.

I threw in a mixture of jeans, shorts, camisoles and t-shirts, not entirely sure how long we'd be out there for. I'd wear my converse to the airport, but I stuck some sturdy walking shoes in my rucksack for the hike through the rainforest.

I skipped into the bathroom to retrieve my wash bag and placed it on top of my clothes in the bag along with my passport and the bag that the Cullens had given me. After this, I found myself with nothing to do, although, it dawned on me that I should probably email my mother and make an excuse for why I might not reply to any of her emails in the next few days. I zipped up the rucksack and switched on my computer.

Sure enough there was an email from my mother;

_Bella,_

_Sorry that I haven't written in so long, I've joined a book club!_

_Aren't you proud of me? Anyway, this is only a quick email because_

_The club starts in 10 minutes and I don't want to be late...again. _

_I hope you; Charlie and the Cullens are well. Phil and I are fab._

_Love you, Mum xxxxxxxx_

I laughed at the thought of my mother joining a book club; she'd probably lose all the books that she was supposed to read. I sighed and typed a reply;

_Hey Mum,_

_Wow, I've never thought of you as the type to join a book club!_

_Yes I am proud of you! Charlie and I are great, the Cullens are all very sick._

_I'm really sorry but for the next week I'm going to be extremely busy helping my_

_Friends plan for things and I'm going out a few times, so I probably won't reply _

_If you email me, just thought I'd give you a heads up. _

_Love you so much, Bella xx_

I hoped a week would be the maximum amount of time I'd be in Australia, but I guess I wouldn't know until I was there. I turned off the computer and climbed under my duvet with my phone in my lap, waiting for Edward's call. It wasn't long after that I felt it vibrate.

"Hey, Edward." I answered.

"Bella, it's so good to hear your voice." He sounded relieved.

"Why, what's the matter?" I played with my hair nervously with my free hand.

"I just missed your company. Right now I should have you asleep in my arms, listening to you talking away. I miss that already." There was sadness in his voice, I wanted to get out of bed and run to him, but I knew there was no point.

"I miss you too." I mumbled. "It's not going to be the same sleeping without you tonight."

"I can't wait until I've gotten rid of this damned illness." I heard him take a deep breath. "This reminds me, your flights to Australia are booked. Your plane takes off at 8:30 tomorrow night; can you pass that onto the pack?"

"Of course." I replied. Nearly 24 hours on a plane with 4 wolves would be an experience I'd probably never forget. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"I don't think so, Bella. If I see you tomorrow I'm not going to want you to leave even more than I don't want you to now." I sighed at his stupidity.

"Honestly, Edward, I'm going to be absolutely fine. There's no need to worry."

"That's harder than it sounds, Bella. You mean everything to me; I'm not prepared to lose you to a coven of Australian vampires that I've never met before." He snarled slightly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Edward. Anyway, I don't want to have this discussion with you, if it's going to be our last time speaking to each other until I get back."There was a short pause from his end.

"If it's what you want then that's fine. I hate to sound weak, but I've really got to lie down now, Bella. You stay safe, I will never forgive myself for letting you go if you don't come back to me. I love you." I heard a smile in his voice.

"I'll come back, I promise. I love you too, bye baby." The phone clicked, and Edward was gone. I'd told Edward bravely that I would come back, but my bravery was wearing off now and I was gradually filling up with more fear that I'd never see him again, even if I did come back. What if I returned and Edward had died?

I held onto my tears of fear, and rang Jacob to confirm the flights with him, not long after our call ended; I was under my duvet, crying myself to sleep.


	8. 5 Muffins Later

That morning I woke to a rare ray of sunlight shining down on my bed, I hoped this was a good sign for the journey I was to be taking that evening. I tried my best not to think about the fact that I would be on the other side of the world to Edward for a few days, but I did remind myself that my journey was for a good cause - I was saving the Cullen's lives.

For most of the day I made sure I had something to do which was mainly homework, washing and preparing meals for Charlie which he could reheat while I was away. The situation with Charlie was another detail that I didn't want my mind to linger on; hopefully Jacob would just deal with it.

At around 5pm, I threw my rucksack into the boot of my Chevy, making sure that my passport was right on top so that I had easy access to it. I gave my house a parting smile and drove to La Push, where the pack was waiting for me outside Jacob's house.

Sam, Jake, Seth and Paul all had rucksacks similar to mine, only there's were filled to the top with sweatpants and very few shirts, plus their passports. I noticed Leah was standing with them, was she coming too? She didn't have a rucksack but she did have a scowl on her face.

"Hey!" I called, as I pulled up in front of them. Paul, Jacob and Seth jumped into the back immediately; I felt the back end of the truck sink with their weight.

"Hello, Bella." Sam chucked his rucksack into the back with the guys, but then gestured towards Leah. "Leah is going to come with us to the airport, if that's alright. She'll bring your truck back here so that you don't have to leave it at the airport."

I wasn't entirely sure I wanted Leah driving my truck, especially as she hated my guts. She might kill it.

"Urm, sure that's fine. Hop in Leah." Hesitantly I indicated to the passenger seat, and just as hesitantly, she climbed in.

"Oh yeah, Bells." Jacob leant forward. "Don't worry about Charlie, my dad's on the case." I saw him glance towards his house where Billy gave me a stern nod and then wheeled away from the window.

"Thanks, Jake." I smiled at him as Sam climbed in. "All set guys?"

"Ready as we'll ever be!" Paul exclaimed and so I thrust the key in the ignition and my truck roared to life. I heard the boys laughing in the back, I flushed with embarrassment.

"Don't hate on the truck!" I teased, and pulled out of La Push and towards Grand Forks Airport. The boys were chatting away for the journey about random rubbish and were bragging about who could run the fastest and who was the strongest, which caused an argument between Jacob and Paul.

Leah didn't say a word the entire time, but tapped her fingers impatiently on the dashboard. I didn't speak much either, I was mainly focused on the road, but intervened a few times when I thought the boys argument was going to become a full blown fight. Thankfully Sam assured me he wouldn't let it get that far.

It was only when we pulled into the airport that anyone mentioned our 20 hour long plane journey.

"I hate planes." Paul grumbled. "It's all too cooped up, entirely boring and all the fit chicks are usually in first class." I rolled my eyes.

"At least you're not the one paying for it, Paul!" Seth exclaimed. "The Cullens have paid for all of us."

"That doesn't make them better people, Seth." Leah snapped, shocking us all as she came out of her silence. "Not that they are even people in the first place." I glanced in her direction and saw her staring at me furiously.

"Don't start, Leah." Sam warned. Thankfully there was no more car journey and we all piled out with our luggage and passports in hand. I handed my keys over to Leah.

"Try not to kill my truck." I stared at it for a moment, debating on whether leaving it in the airport car park would be safer. Leah snatched them from my fingers and shoved them in her pocket.

"Don't be like that with me, Isabella. I can easily arrange for your truck to be killed." She glared at me before hopping into the driver's seat. Within minutes my truck was rolling away from me. Jacob patted my shoulder.

"If she kills it, she kills it. It was a piece of crap anyway." He smirked at me, but I didn't smirk back. I loved that truck!

We gained a lot of attention as we walked through the airport's automatic doors. I knew that everyone was staring at the boys because they were all tall and muscular, I even saw some girls swooning. This irritated me, because the girls didn't know why we were actually here, and how serious this journey was. In complete honesty, it was all quite surreal; I hadn't ever imagined that I'd be travelling to Australia with a quarter of a wolf pack, to find medicine for a coven of vampires.

If it wasn't for the fact that the pack was tall and their skin stood out from the rest, then I don't think I would have made my way through the crowds without getting lost. Seth walked close by me the whole time while Jake had a firm grasp of my shoulder.

Eventually we got our boarding passes, passports checked, bags taken from us and had been frisked by security. They had given the pack suspicious looks when they passed through the machine without causing a bleep, as if they should have been carrying weapons and drugs. Jacob rolled his eyes but Seth found it highly entertaining.

"How cool is that, Jake! They think we're badass!" Seth's grin stretched across his face until it was from ear to ear. I chuckled at his excitement. Seth was the youngest to begin the transformation, whereas Jacob hated being who he was, Seth _adored_ it. He loved playing the hero and getting involved in the action, but Sam usually gave him the easy jobs because he was so young, which Edward had told me, annoyed him greatly.

"No, Seth. They think we're criminals carrying class-A drugs. That's not badass, that's pathetic." Seth scowled at Jake for ruining his moment of happiness.

"Whatever you say, Jake." He remained silent for the rest of the check.

When the checks were complete, we went and got food at one of the cafés. Consumed by my thoughts of the journey ahead, I nibbled on a muffin and sipped at some coffee while the boys dug in to burgers and fries with way too much ketchup, followed by ice-cream sundaes or waffles with cream.

"You guys are going to burst if you keep eating like that!" I exclaimed as they licked the remains off their plates, while a quarter of my muffin remained on mine.

"We don't burst, Bella! We're _always_ hungry!" Paul winked at me, but I noticed him eyeing up my muffin. I held the plate out to him, and with a grin he snatched it up and scoffed it in one bite. "Thanks!" He cried through a mouthful of crumbs.

"Say it, don't spray it!" Jacob complained, as a sea of crumbs came his way. Paul grimaced apologetically and went up to buy another muffin.

"I do apologise, Bella. Not all of us are pigs like Paul." Sam smiled weakly. I understood that this was probably very hard for him, leaving Emily behind to fly to Australia for vampires, but I was extremely grateful. I laughed in response to his apology.

"I guess that's a good thing about dating a vampire," Seth and Jacob looked at me questioningly. "They don't eat you out of house and home!" I continued, raising my eyebrows at them.

"Yeah, well at least our source of food isn't blood." Paul bellowed from across the café, many of the customers and staff turned to look at him. Sam put his head in his hands and sighed.

"Smooth, Paul!" Jake punched Paul's arm as he sat at the table with a muffin already half-eaten in his hands. Paul responded by sticking out his muffin covered tongue.

"Gross!" Seth and I wailed at the same time.

Half an hour later, or in Paul's case – 5 muffins later, our flight was called and we headed off towards the gate. I realised that I was gradually getting more and more nervous the closer we got.

"Relax, Bella!" Jacob nudged me lightly; I looked up at him and laughed.

"Why would I be nervous about meeting a pack of Australian vampires that are going to want my blood?" I replied sarcastically causing Seth and Jacob to burst out laughing. They were cut off as the staff member checked our tickets and boarding passes one more time before directing us onto the runway.

I looked up at the enormous plane that would take me to the other side of the world, away from Edward, however, it was so much more than that - it was also the plane that would save his and his families lives.

I made sure I had a window seat, and the moment I was in my seat I stuck my iPod headphones in my ears, pressed play, and stared out of the window. I was vaguely aware of the air hostess running through the safety demonstrations in the background, but it was a mere buzz compared to my lullaby blaring in my ears.

Jacob frowned at me as I ignored the demonstration; he probably thought I should be paying attention as I was likely to be the only one of the plane that would end up unsafe. Obviously the wolves tuned out at the start of the demonstration too and yet had the cheek to frown at me for doing the same.

Eventually the plane took off and I was watching my home disappear until it was merely a dot.


	9. Chicken or Seafood?

It was only when Jacob started snoring in the seat beside me that I realised I had twelve hours of flying to get through. Not to mention another 14 hours after the stop to refuel in Dubai. That was 26 hours of getting my around what I was actually going to do when we landed in Cairns and arrived at Daintree rainforest to seek out the tribe that potentially held the key to saving the existence of the Cullens. Of Edward.

But more to the point, before we could gain their cure we had to gain their trust. I looked around at the La Push boys who took up most of Business Class and leant my head back in my seat. How was a coven of vampires going to trust four wolves and a human? They were essentially being sought out by their enemy and their food source. This was not going to go down well. Not to mention the trouble that would follow if Jacob didn't return me to Edward in one piece.

I let my mind wander to other things, such as whether or not my car would have made it home without any lasting damage from Leah. I wasn't the only thing that needed to be one piece when it returned to Forks. But the reason for my car being in Leah's hands in the first place caused me to shut off the thought altogether. This was going to be the worst fight of my life.

Jacob stirred beside me and gave me a sleepy smile. I smirked at the drool on the corner of his mouth and patted his arm.

"What's wrong?" He asked, a frown line denting his russet skin.

"I'm just nervous about the coven trusting us," I replied biting my lip. "We're not exactly their usual type of guest."

Jacob snorted and rolled his eyes. "You worry too much, Bells. We'll get that cure even if we have to force it out of them." Not reassuring to say the least.

"We will have to be cautious, Jacob." Sam joined in from the seat in front. "These aren't the Cullens."

"Yeah but we're not scared of vampires regardless of who they are." Paul interjected. "I don't know what all the fuss is about."

"The fuss is about the fact that unlike the Cullens, these vampires _are _going to try to drink Bella's blood." Sam replied. "We have her to look out for too."

"_Nothing _is going to happen to Bella, ok?" Jacob said matter of factly. "I'll make sure of it." He squeezed my hand and I smiled weakly in response. No one seemed to understand that I wasn't worried for my life, all I cared about was the Cullens. If we couldn't be trusted then they wouldn't get better.

"We've got your back, Bella!" Seth called cheerily from beside Paul on the seats behind.

Another problem hit me. I was so preoccupied saving the lives of the Cullens that I hadn't even noticed I was putting the wolves' lives at risk too. I buried my face in my hands, part of me immediately regretting the whole idea. It was a vicious circle in which someone was always in danger.

"Just put one of the films on or go to sleep, Bella." Jacob instructed, sensing my unease. He then plugged his own headphones into the screen in front and slid down in his seat, tapping at the options.

I decided to do the same. Why not? I had hours to kill.

I tapped the first thing that came up on the screen, not even bothering to check what it was. After ten minutes I wasn't paying much attention anyway. My mind couldn't be parted from our upcoming task.

I was relieved when, minutes later, my eyelids began to get heavier and my vision worsen. Finally I would be able to close myself off for a few hours _and _pass some of the flight time. However, just as my eyes sealed shut an announcement was made that lunch was to be served.

"Finally!" Jacob and Paul cried, holding their stomachs. "We're ravenous!"

"I thought you wanted me to sleep, Jake? Not become deafened."

"Chill your beans, Bells. We're hungry boys and we need all the energy we can get for this little trip." He replied arrogantly, giving me a wink.

I rolled my eyes and rearranged myself in my seat as a woman appeared pushing a trolley laden with trays and cartons of drink.

While the boys got a good look at what was on offer my mind strayed to Edward. We'd never been unable to contact each other for so long or spent so much time apart before. And more worryingly this was 12 hours in which I couldn't be updated about their health. For all I knew the Cullens' conditions could have deteriorated. Or worse.

"Chicken or sea food?" A thick Malaysian accent interrupted my thoughts.

"Is there any chance I could have both?" Jacob asked, flashing his best smile and flexing his bicep.

"Don't be so greedy, Jake," I frowned. "You can have some of mine. I'll have the chicken please."

Jacob receieved his one tray and gave me the evils for a moment before he tucked in. The tray contained lots of different bowls of salad, fruit, the main chicken dish, youghurt and cake. I didn't know where to begin and my past thoughts made my stomach churn.

"Here, Jake, just have mine. I can't eat anything." I slid my tray on top of his already near empty one and curled up in my seat, listening to the sounds of the boys inhaling their lunch. I envied their calmness and confidence. For me the lengthy journey was wasting precious time.

It was only moments later that I felt Jacob's hand slip behind my head and around my shoulders. He gently pulled me into his side and rested his chin on the top of my head.

"Thanks Jake, I'm really glad you're hear." I whispered, holding back tears. He didn't reply, or if he did I fell asleep before I heard him.

I dreamt of green. Green trees and green undergrowth. Humid weather and sweaty skin. Weak tired human legs and strong striding paws. Birds chirping and animal calls. Brown eyes, wolf eyes, and then red eyes. Piercing red eyes that screamed blood and danger. Eyes that assured you that you were on the menu. A cold hand brushed the hair away from my neck, no longer a barrier to my throbbing pulse. I closed my eyes and screamed.

"Bella?!" Hot hands shook my shoulders. "Wake up!"

I shrugged the hands off, my heart racing, and looked up into Jacob's startled eyes. Sam had turned around in his seat and was watching me, equally as shocked.

"Bad dream." I said quickly, feeling my cheeks flush.

"I'll say!" Jacob cried. "That scream was blood curdling!" I shuddered at his use of the term 'blood".

"Bella are you sure accompanying us was a good idea?" Sam asked. I knew this had been coming.

"We'd totally understand if you wanted to stay at a hotel or something while we sort everything out." Seth added quickly. How could they honestly expect me not to have a role in this?

"Don't be stupid!" I snapped. "This was my idea and I'm not staying out of anything until Edward and the Cullens are back to full health."

"Good job really," Paul said suddenly. "Because we've reached Dubai. We're half way."


	10. A Phone Call in Dubai

Landing in Dubai meant we were another step closer to the cure, but even further away from Edward. I couldn't bear thinking about how anxious he would have been back in Forks, I knew he would have been pacing if he'd been strong enough.

Walking again after sitting down for so long felt like an entirely new concept. As we entered the airport I felt like I had to re-teach my legs to move, but perhaps they just didn't want to walk further away from Edward and my comfort zone. I looked ahead at the towering figures of the boys, rolling my eyes as they strolled in a line like something from a film. What we were about to do _was _like something from a film.

"Come on, Bells, you're falling behind!" Jacob called from over his shoulder. I quickened my pace as they all stopped to read the departures board for our next flight. Another 14 hours with my thoughts.

Just as I opened my mouth to respond, the phone Edward had given me vibrated in my pocket. I was relieved to see his name on the screen but part of me was terrified that something terrible had happened. That someone's time had run out. I pressed the phone to my ear and took a deep breath.

"Hey Edward." I answered quietly. "We've just made it to Dubai."

"I know, I've been tracking your flight online." Edward said hurriedly. "How are you? Did you get enough sleep on the plane? Have you eaten? When's your next flight?"

"One at a time, Edward!" I laughed, but Edward wasn't laughing. His response was an impatient silence. "The flight was ok, just long. I'm fine, I promise."

"I'd like to speak to Jacob please, Bella." He said simply. He didn't believe me.

"Fine." I sighed and hurried towards the boys. Sam and Jacob looked away from the board as I approached. "Edward wants to speak to you, Jacob."

Jacob rolled his eyes but took the phone anyway. "Yeah?" There was silence for a while as the rest of the wolves and I stood and stared at Jacob. "Of course she's fine, she's only been on an aeroplane." I flushed scarlet as Jacob turned to look at me, his brow creasing. "Well she gave me her food...yes she slept for a bit...yeah she did, she woke up screaming." I huffed as Jacob dobbed me in to Edward. Paul snickered beside me. "Next flight is in an hour. Fine I'll put her back on."

Jacob thrust the phone back in my hand and punched my arm lightly. "Hello again." I said into the handset.

"Why did you lie to me, Bella?" He sighed. I heard a cough in the background.

"How are _you_, Edward?" I asked quickly, ignoring his own questions. "How is your family?"

I heard him sigh and I could just imagine him pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm the same, Bella, but Alice is very sick."

My breath caught in my throat. "What does that mean, Edward?"

"It means she hasn't been very responsive. All of her senses are deteriorating. She has lost her ability to smell and hear."

"What about everyone else?" I choked. "Edward what's going to happen if we don't find the cure on time for Alice?"

"No one else has become deaf if that's what you're asking, Bella, and I don't know." I heard him take a deep breath. "We've only ever believed that we can die as a result of being burnt, but then again we never knew we could get sick, so unfortunately anything is possible."

"We will get that cure, Edward, I promise." I gripped the phone tighter.

"Just stay safe, Bella. Come back to me." He said simply.

"You know I will." And then he ended the call. I stared at the phone for a few minutes thinking over the conversation. What if Edward didn't come back to _me_ and never got better? What if I was too late or never managed to get the cure in the first place?

"Don't mope." Paul said, taking the phone from me and switching it off. He slipped it into the pocket of my jacket and tugged on my arm. "We have a flight to catch."

I wanted to catch this flight and I didn't. If Alice got even worse then I would be too far away to be there for Edward. If I didn't catch this flight then I would be too far away from the cure. I would just have to hope that the Cullens could hold on until we had what they needed.

"Do we need to go to the gate right now?" Seth asked suddenly. "Because I'm starving."

"Is now really the time to be thinking about your stomach?" I grumbled. Seth's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. I shook my head as Jacob spun me to face him.

"You've got to relax, Bells, if you're this wound up in an airport then what are you going to be like when we reach the coven?"

"Let's just go to the gate." Sam interjected.

"The sooner this is over the better!" Paul added and turned in the direction of our gate, Sam right beside him.

I ignored Jacob's question and began following the others, wishing we were already in Queensland with the cure in our hands and no more hours of flying in between. What if we'd already lost Alice by the time we landed in Australia? I couldn't shake the same thoughts, they somehow managed to be the root of everything I turned my mind to. Until this was over I wasn't going to be able to think about anything else, that was something I was going to have to accept.

A hot arm linked with mine and I looked up at my best friend. "I'm sorry Jake, but I don't know what I'm going to do if I fail."

Jacob shook his head angrily. "Bella, none of this is your fault and it's not your responsibility either. I know that in some way that I can't understand, you really care about the Cullens and you love them. That's why you're doing this, you're not doing it because someone has given you a task to complete."

I knew Jacob was right but I did feel like this was my responsibility. The Cullens had protected me and looked after me for years, it was my turn to do the same for them. Even if it was incredibly dangerous and unrealistic.

"But you do anything for the people you love." I pointed out. Jacob looked a little hurt by this comment and squeezed my arm a little tighter.

"I know." He whispered. "Why do you think I agreed to coming on this trip." I felt my cheeks warm but I couldn't look up at him. It was always going to be a sore subject.

"I'm glad you're my best friend, Jake and I'll never be able to thank you enough for helping me with this." What else was I supposed to say?

"I'll always be here for you, Bella." He replied simply, staring straight ahead as we approached the gate for Cairns.

It was only as I had my passport checked that I realised how tired I really was. This gave me some hope that I would spend most of the journey unconscious and therefore unable to ponder over the situation I was in. Perhaps these 14 hours would be bearable after all?

I was escorted to my seat in business class with Jacob's arm still linked in mine. Rather than walking together Jacob was more having to support my weight as my eyes threatened to allow me to fall asleep standing upright. I was so relieved when I finally came in contact with the seat that I immediately buckled my seat belt and closed my eyes, once again ignoring the safety demonstrations and videos and the announcement from the captain as to when meals would be served. If I was feeling tired then I was going to cease the opportunity with both hands straight away.

My mind drifted back to my return flight with Edward and Alice after our encounter with the volturi in Volterra, and how I'd refused to let myself fall asleep because I didn't want to wake up and find Edward had gone. This time I didn't want to stay awake, I didn't want to remember why I was on this plane in the first place.

I felt hot fingers comb through my hair once and then I was gone, my cheek squished against the prickly material of the headrest.


	11. Welcome To Cairns

_I dreamt of green again. Only this time the wolves formed a protective cocoon around me as the red eyes glowed through the gaps between their gigantic forms. I could hear low growls vibrating in their chests as the eyes became brighter. Closer. I opened my mouth to speak but no noise followed. Panicking, I gripped Jacob's russet fur tightly between my fingers and stared at him wide eyed. What was going on? Why couldn't I say my bit? I nudged Jacob but he didn't respond, he and Seth just siddled a little closer to me, their fur tickling my cheeks. I heard a louder growl from the black wolf at the front, his back up in a defensive stance. Hot breath tickled the back of my neck and I spun round to find Paul closing in on me, imitating Sam's posture but staring right past me. I didn't understand. Why couldn't I get to the vampires and say what needed to be said? A bird swooped overhead, disappearing into the rainforest, but the wolves didn't flinch, they looked on. Suddenly Sam was swept aside, crashing into the nearest tree and slicing it in half. The top half came down too quick, crushing Seth as Paul knocked me out of the way. My eyes flashed to Seth's limp body as Sam struggled to get back up in the distance_.

_"Human." A male voice chimed. I looked up at the red eyes that stared back, unable to actually make out their physical appearance due to Jacob suddenly stepping in front of me. "How foolish to come here." It almost sounded like a question. _

_"I need your help!" I cried, surprised that the words were sounded. I tried to peer around him but his huge frame remained permanently in the way._

_"I know what you want. They told me before they became these dogs." He spat the last word. "Why on earth would I help four werewolves and a human? Pathetic." _

_"But it's for Carlisle. He said he knows Apari." I realised I had no idea who I was speaking to. _

_"Just because we know of one another does not mean to say that he is worthy of our service." This wasn't how it was supposed to go. At least not how I'd hoped it would go. _

_Jacob suddenly fell to the ground as two pale arms wrapped around his head and snapped his neck. I felt the blood drain from my face. Paul howled from behind me, leaping over my head straight into the vampire. _

_"PAUL!" I shrieked as the fangs slipped into his flesh. Two hands gripped my shoulders, shaking me until my teeth rattled..._

"Bella, come on, pack it in." Jacob said quickly as I opened my eyes. "Paul's getting a kick out of a female saying his name in her sleep."

I looked up at Jacob, his neck still attached, then to Seth who was motionless in front of us but just sound asleep. Sam too was very much alive and if Paul had really just been bitten then he was doing surprisngly well for a wolf with venom in his system. I threw my arms around Jacob's neck.

"You're all ok." I said quietly.

'Was I the star of the dream?" Paul winked. "Is there something we need to tell Edward?" I ignored him.

"More nightmares, Bella?" Sam asked.

"Something like I that." I sighed, I didn't really want to go into detail about what I'd just seen. I certainly hoped that wasn't a vision of what was yet to come. If so, I didn't know how Alice coped.

"Just stop thinking about everything," Jacob frowned. "We've still got seven hours to go and I don't want seven hours of screaming. It's embarrassing."

Paul laughed. "Not for me!"

I was so grateful that Edward wasn't beside me to witness how weak and pathetic I was. For someone who was supposed to be saving lives I couldn't even sleep without becoming freaked out. If he'd been there to see how much the situation was affecting me then he'd have had me off the plane immediately. Even if it meant breaking a window and jumping off a wing into the sea below. Jacob was basically just telling me to man up, although I didn't doubt for a second that if it really came down to it, he would have done the same.

"I just need to be there now, enough of this travelling." I huffed, curling up in my seat again.

"Well unless you're planning on swimming the rest of the way I'd suck it up." Jacob smirked. I felt my lips twitch into a smile.

The stress of the nightmare had made me even more exhausted and I found myself tempted to sleep again. I was hesitant at first, fearful of a repeat of before, but how else was I going to pass the time? I had no interest in movies right now.

Instead I closed my eyes and thought of my Mum. She'd no doubt see right through my excuse for not being able to email, she was my mother after all. I could hardly tell her that I'd been to Australia to persuade a coven of vampires to give me a cure to heal my vampire boyfriend and his vampire family who shouldn't have gotten sick in the first place. She'd probably have me sectioned. Then again my Mum was an odd sort of person, the kind who probably secretly believed in stories of ghosts, vampires and werewolves. Perhaps she was like Edward's biological mother, perhaps she _knew_. Even if she did, somehow I still don't think she'd appreciate me disappearing to Australia. Edward certainly didn't.

I thought about how different my life would have been if I'd never moved to Forks and met Edward. I would have been a completely different person. For starters I certainly wouldn't have been on this plane. I could see myself; a shy, socially awkward teen totally oblivious of the existence of vampires and werewolves. I wondered if Edward would have still been alone. I wondered if the Cullens would still be sick even without my existence in their lives. Without me who would have been there to save them? I'd bridged the understanding between them and the wolves, they wouldn't be on this plane if I wasn't. My mind turned back to something - were the Cullens sick because me? I couldn't come up with an explanation as to why, but up until now basically everything bad or dangerous that had happened to the Cullens had linked back to me. What could I have done this time? Was it to do with what happened with the newborns?

I wasn't sure how I'd explain the theory to Edward, or if I wanted to, especially if I wasn't sure.

When I opened my eyes again I realised I'd lost track of time. My thoughts had become my dream and I'd lost 7 hours in the process. We were basically there. The cure was just hours away.

As the plane came in to land my stomach was doing somersaults. I couldn't distinguish between excitement and anxiety. I felt Jacob squeeze my hand, aware of my eratic emotions.

"Finally the fun is going to start." Paul grumbled. Since when was this fun? All Paul cared about was the possibility that he might get to fight a vampire.

"Don't be insensitive, Paul." Seth sighed, giving me a brief smile. I realised I hadn't apologised for biting his head off earlier. I smiled weakly in response.

"We still have a ferry to catch." Sam interjected. "So if we want to get off this plane and onto it, then now isn't the time to start an argument."

I was relieved when the plane door opened and we were able to file out, the Australian sunshine blaring through the Windows of the building.

'WELCOME TO CAIRNS' was the first thing I saw. A big green and yellow sign with a cartoon sun and kangaroos dotted around the outside. It was a shame we weren't here to enjoy either of those things, we'd never see them in Forks that was for sure.

I tried to hurry through the airport procedures, but it just didn't seem fast enough. I wasn't surprised when the mobile phone began to vibrate. I pressed it to my ear immediately, I didn't need to check who it was.

"Hello, Bella." I inhaled sharply, it was Jasper, not Edward. "I was phoning for an update. You should be in the airport now, yes?" Why wasn't Edward on the phone?

"Has something happened to Edward?" The words fell out my mouth. Sod the update.

"He's having a lie down, Bella, that's all. Now what's your next move?"

"Jasper what's going on? He's really sick isn't he? Tell me!" I felt my eyes well up and my bottom lip tremble. A hot hand tried to pull the phone away but I shrugged it off.

"He just can't come to the phone right now, Bella." And tben it clicked.

"He's lost his hearing hasn't he?" I heard Jasper take a deep breath and some mumbles in the background.

"Yes, he has." A single tear spilt over and trickled over my cheek. "But other than that he's the same as he was when you last spoke to him. We're all hanging on, Bella. Edward isn't going to leave you behind."

"I can do this, Jasper." I promised. "I'll be back with that cure, you just wait."

"Without a doubt, Bella." I could hear a smile in his voice. "Just let us know when you've reached Daintree. I'm not sure how strong the signal will be, but just do your best to contact us."

"I will. Send my love to everyone, especially Edward." I ended the call and pulled myself together, taking a deep breath and swiping at my damp eyes.

"Ready, Bells?" Jacob asked as we headed for the exit.

"Ready, Jake."


	12. When Jacob Decides This Is It

As we exited the airport I felt my stomach do somersaults. The Cullens were depending on us and I'd promised we wouldn't let them down. It wasn't even just the Cullens depending on us, it was my happiness and my future. I couldn't see happiness or a future without Edward.

"How are getting from here to the ferry?" Seth asked. "Isn't it like two hours away?"

"Won't take us long if we run." Paul said as if it was obvious. I coughed, reminding him of my presence.

"We're driving." Sam said suddenly, dangling keys in our faces.

"Dude, where did you get the keys for a BMW? They don't just have those lying about as rental cars." Jacob exclaimed, studying the keyring.

"Jasper has cars stored everywhere apparently, just in case he's in the area and fancies a drive." Sam responded, shrugging. I thought back to the chest containing all the different currencies.

"Bloody show off." Paul huffed, rolling his eyes.

"They really must be rich." Seth whispered in awe.

"Who's driving?" Jacob asked quickly, his eyes twinkling.

"I am." The alpha broke through in Sam's voice and the boys looked down uncomfortabley. Was now really the time?

"Well shall we get going then?" I asked impatiently, shoving my hands in my pockets and tapping my feet on the floor.

"Might as well. The hotel is only five minutes down the road."

My heart stopped. "Hotel? What hotel?"

"Bella, have you seen the time? It's coming up to 10pm, it's dark out. It's still a two hour drive until we're even there and we have to catch a ferry. We're better off getting up early and going." Jacob sighed.

"But I want to go now! The sooner the better, for the sake of the Cullen's health." I pleaded desperately.

"Be realistic, Bella." Paul grumbled. "We might have eyes to sew clearly in the dark, but you don't. And a rainforest is dangerous enough in daylight." I opened my mouth to respond.

"You know he's right, Bells." Jacob smirked. I did. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right.

"Fine." I whispered in defeat.

I followed behind them as they walked and talked sports cars. Nothing was happening quick enough for my liking. A night in a hotel was just a waste of time but on the other hand so was being ambushed in a rainforest because it was too dark to see anything.

The BMW was stored in a heavily electrically padlocked garage around the corner from the airport. Seeing a trace of the Cullens left an ache in my chest. They were so close and yet so far away.

As the garage door swung open and the gleaming BMW was revealed, the boys all groaned.

"God, Jasper is lucky."

"Such a show off."

"Let's see how it drives!"

Rolling my eyes I slid into the back next to Seth. Sam started the engine and they all groaned again.

"What a beauty." Jacob sighed in admiration. I was honestly on the verge of losing my cool. Was I the only one who remembered why we were in this vehicle in the first place?

"Are we going?" I asked impatiently and Sam pulled out, pressing a remote which allowed the garage door to swing shut and re lock. "Finally."

The journey to the hotel was a short and quiet one. Seth's snores beside me reminded me of how tired I was, resulting in my eyelids beginning to droop and flutter. I didn't want to miss any of this adventure, even the bits that weren't important like the car journey. I didn't want Edward and the Cullens to know I'd slept peacefully while they suffered. I fought to stay awake, especially as the car pulled up outside the hotel. A valet appeared, opening our car doors and smiling politely, no doubt this was another fancy treat from the Cullen's, a five star hotel had Jasper and Alice written all over it.

I swung my legs out of the car, confused when they were no longer on the ground.

"You're dead on your feet, Bella, I'll take it from here." Jacob smiled, hoisting me higher up as he carried me into the hotel lobby, a smug look on his face.

"Jacob I can walk, I may be human but I'm not a complete invalid." I mumbled sleepily. I heard him snort.

"If your walking is as bad as your speech then I think I'm probably doing the right thing. We both know how clumsy you are."

The glare of the lobby lights burned my eyes, causing me to allow my hair to fall in front of my face. I must have looked ridiculous. I felt my cheeks flush.

I heard Sam give the Cullen's name at the front desk and someone else's voice sounded very close, explaining that they would take us to our room. I hadn't even thought about the sleeping arrangements, it was a bit awkward knowing I was the only female but I was almost too tired to care. I was vaguely aware of the sound of an elevator and then more chatter as a door opened and closed behind us. I had begun to nod off when I felt myself drop onto a soft landing. I quickly opened my eyes, realising we had a family room with one double bed and two singles and a sofa bed.

"Don't worry, Bells, I'll be on the floor." Jacob said quickly.

"That's stupid, Jake, you should at least have a bed. You've done a lot for me these few days. We can share if you'd like."

I saw Paul wink at Jacob who glared in response. "If you're sure, Bella."

The boys all pulled their shirts over their heads and stepped out of their jeans, slipping under the duvets of their beds for the night. I realised I was still fully dressed and flushed scarlet. I grabbed my rucksack and hurried into the bathroom, rummaging around until I found my pyjamas. When I re entered the room, Jacob had already made himself comfortable.

I slipped in beside him, feeling his warmth radiate throughout the bed. I pressed myself against his arm and shut my eyes. "Goodnight, Jake."

"Night, Bells." He whispered.

I had an unusually dreamless sleep, no green, no red eyes and no danger. If it hadn't had been for Jacob's arm sticking my shirt to my back with sweat, I would have thought it was just another day in Forks. I was so wrong.

There was a flurry of activity already and it was only 6am. Sam was on the phone to Emily and Seth was figuring out how to use the kettle, flicking the switch on and off only not to be met by a response. Paul was showering and singing a very bad rendition of Wouldn't It Be Nice by the Beach Boys, and Jacob was eating toast on the bed beside me, a tray on his lap laden with eggs and bacon and croissants. Clearly taking advantage of the room service.

"Morning." I said groggily, rubbing my eyes and pushing my hair out of my eyes.

"Morning, Bells!" Jacob said through a mouthful of crumbs. "Ready for the big day?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." I sighed, swinging my legs off the bed. "Seth, try putting water in it first." Seth stopped what he was doing and turned red, not daring to turn around.

"We're going to leave in an hour, is that long enough?" Sam asked me suddenly.

"Sure." I replied, it wasn't like I had makeup to do or a hairstyle to perfect. We were only going to the rainforest after all, although I did want to shower first.

When Paul emerged I made a beeline for the bathroom door, stealing half a croissant from Jacob's tray and cramming it in my mouth as I passed.

The hot water got my adrenaline pumping but relaxed my mind, allowing me to momentarily give into the idea that everything was going to be fine and we'd be home in a couple of days with the cure in hand. I knew this was unrealistic, no matter how hot the water was.

An hour later and we were back in the BMW, beginning our two hour drive to Daintree. I dialled the last number on the phone and pressed it to my ear.

"Hello, Bella." It was Jasper again, meaning Edward was the same if not worse than the last time we spoke.

"Hi Jasper, I was just ringing for an update." I said sadly, realising how much I missed Edward's voice.

"Edward is the same," I was grateful that he began with Edward. "Rosalie and Emmett both cannot smell and Carlisle has lost his colour vision. He can only describe it as being like permanently watching an old film."

"It sounds awful." I mumbled, shocked at how quickly this disease was progressing.

"What about you - what's the news on your end?"

"We've just left the hotel for Daintree, we should be there in a couple of hours." I explained half heartedly, my mind lingering on Edward.

"The coven are located directly in the middle of the rainforest, or at least that's where they reside. They could be anywhere within it due to hunting or general leisure activities." Jasper informed me, followed by a throaty cough.

"Right, ok, thanks, Jasper."

"Good luck, Bella, stay legal positive now."

"Send my love to Edward." I choked as the call ended.

I stared out of the window for most of the journey, occasionally joining in the small talk. Everyone was quiet and mainly kept to themselves, the realisation of what we were setting out to do kicking in. When I saw the sign for Cape Tribulation road and the ferry port I felt my heart pound.

We exited the car and boarded the ferry to Forest Creek, all staring at the water in silence. It was perfect green colour, like a glass bottle, allowing the sunlight to bounce off of it. The ferry ride only took minutes before we were delivered to masses of green trees and brown undergrowth. The entrance sign read 'DAINTREE RAINFOREST'.

"This is it." I heard Jacob whisper beside me. And he was right.


	13. First Impressions

We all stared at the sign, none of us actually with any idea lf what to do next. I dug the toe of my walking boots into the greenery, waiting for someone to speak.

"So," Paul began. "You say these guys are in the middle of the rainforest? How exactly do we get to the middle or know when we're there?"

"Keep walking until we find them, I guess." I shrugged, truthfully I had no idea.

"I'm sure once they smell us they'll have something to say." Jacob added.

"But they probably have tourists walking through here all the time," Seth said suddenly. "They might not think anything of it."

"Seth, they aren't honestly going to keep quiet if wolves invade their territory, and besides, about those tourists, who do you think they feed on?"

"Oh." Seth mumbled, looking down. I could never imagine the Cullens living in a touristy area, enticing people deep into the middle a rainforest and then feeding on them. My mind wandered back to the tour group of people who had walked past us in Volterra and how Edward had hurried me along when they'd started screaming. I shuddered. These vampires were slowly becoming more and more similar to the Volturi. I was beginning to wonder what we'd got ourselves into.

"So shall we just keep walking until we smell bloodsuckers?" Jacob asked, turning to Sam.

"That would probably be best. Once we are further in I want us all to phase apart from Seth, for now he can keep Bella company until we need him."

_"If _we need him." I said quickly. I didn't want us going in with a defensive attitude. First impressions would mean everything for us if we were to gain the vampire's trust, we couldn't just barge into their home looking for a fight.

"Right." Sam said simply, turning away and taking the lead. I felt a bit like I had become part of the pack, listening to Sam's orders and following his lead through the forest.

The further we got in the darker and more humid it got. I couldn't help thinking it was already turning into my nightmare. I wiped a bead of sweat from my forehead, wondering how the already hot wolves were coping. I was surprised to see that none of them were struggling like I was, admittedly I wasn't very fit, but my body temperature was used to being much colder so surely cold to hot would have been easier than hot to hotter?

The boys soldiered on, making small talk now and then, but I didn't have to have Edward's gift to know everyone had the same thing on their mind - what was going to happen when we actually found the vampires...or they found us?

"We should phase now." Sam said suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. He, Paul and Jacob disappeared into the trees and after the sound of tearing clothes they reappeared, huge wolves now standing where they stood before.

It was just Seth and I now, flanked by two towering wolves and following another. An awkward silence fell and I realised I hadn't apologised for snapping at him the previous evening.

"Seth, I'm really sorry for how I spoke to you last night, it was inexcusable."

His eyes lit up as if he'd been waiting for this moment. "No Bella, I'm the one who should be sorry. It was selfish of me, I totally understand why it upset you."

"I was totally out of line though, especially after everything you're doing for me by being here." I sighed.

"I just want you to know Bella, even though I am just another 'leech-hating' wolf, Edward is my friend and I have a lot of respect for his family. I want them to get better too." Seth gave me his best smile and I returned it with mine, giving his hand a quick squeeze.

"I'll never forget it, Seth." I said quietly. "I'll always be grateful to you boys for this." Sam and Paul huffed in response but Jacob remained quiet, staring ahead. There was sadness in his eyes and I knew he was thinking about if everything had all panned out differently, still silently wishing Edward had never come back.

I always felt guilty for my situation with Jacob and the fact I brought more sadness than hapiness to him nowadays. I hated that our relationship had changed so much but I was grateful for the fact that I would never lose him as a friend. Seth stared at me for a moment and then Jacob.

"Don't worry about him, Bella," he whispered. "The day that he imprints, he'll understand why you had to do this." Jacob growled in response and Seth rolled his eyes.

I decided to try the phone, after all, I had promised that we'd keep them updated, however my heart sank when I realised there were no bars of signal out here. We really were on our own. I just hoped nothing serious happened and we needed to call for help.

What felt like hours later, the wolves all stopped dead, the fur rising on their backs. Sam turned to look at Jacob and then back at me, his eyes dark and serious.

"What's going on, Seth?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"Vampire." Seth whispered, his nostrils flaring. I looked around, the hair standing up on my arms and neck. I opened my mouth to speak again when Sam was suddenly launched into the air and sent flying into a tree. My immediate reaction was the reminder of my nightmare.

Jacob and Paul snarled and snapped their teeth as Seth leapt out next to them and phased, falling into line. As Sam regained his balance they began to circle me, growls vibrating their chests and the ground beneath me. I still couldn't see anyone.

Before I had a chance to scream or even breathe, a cold hand gripped a fistful of my hair, pulling me backwards onto the undergrowth and dragging me along. I shrieked and thrashed out, kicking my legs and clawing at the dirt.

"Jacob!" I screamed as he pounced onto the one whose grip on me grew forever tighter. Just as I thought my hair was going to come away from my scalp, I felt myself lift off of the ground and then suddenly hit a hard landing. Looking down I could see the wolves beneath me, circling the base of a tree, growling and baring their teeth. The leaves and twigs scratching my face told me that I was in the tree and the cold hand around my neck told me a vampire was with me.

"Well this is a strange ensemble of tourists." A male voice snarled in my ear. "A pack of wolves and a human girl? A peace offering perhaps?"

"Please let me explain." I squeaked, struggling against the grip on my neck.

"You mean to say there is reasoning behind this?" The male vampire snorted. Pressing his stone lips to my neck, I heard him take a deep breath.

As a defenceless, ordinary human I knew I should be petrified, but I wasn't. I'd had more vampire encounters than most humans for starters, but also if this vampire wasn't interested in our back story then he would have killed me or drained me of blood while we were still on the ground. He wouldn't have taken the time to drag me along the floor and then show off his victory in a tree. Life was easy for a vampire, why would he make it difficult for himself?

Wolf-Jacob was going mental at the base of the tree, clawing the bark and snapping his teeth, spit flying in all directions. I wanted to tell them that as bad as it looked, I was going to be ok, but that would give it away. Just at that moment I felt something hard collide with my right kneecap followed by a popping sound. I felt vomit rise in my throat and the blood drain from my face as my right leg gave out. I hung awkwardly in the vampire's stone arms and when I finally looked down at my awkwardly placed knee, I screamed.

"If you don't quit what you're doing, dogs, I'll dislocate her other one." The vampire sighed as if it was all too easy.

Jacob barked once and I looked at him, my eyes wide in agony. Gradually the boys settled, now in a mute defensive stance.

"You're obviously here for a reason, am I right? Wolves certainly wouldn't travel this far to invade a vampire's privacy." The strong Australian accent drooled.

"We're here to speak to Apari." I choked out, fighting back my cries of pain. The vampire cocked his head.

"You know us by name, interesting. Why are you here?" He growled.

"We're here on behalf of Carlisle Cullen," I panted. "He requires your medical expertise." The man didn't show any signs of recognition to Carlisle's name or the fact they were experts in vampire medicine.

"Doesn't mean anything to me." He shrugged after a moment. "I don't know of this Carlisle you speak of and I certainly am not willing to share our gift with a human and 4 mutts."

I felt tears well up in eyes, but I wasn't sure of they were tears of pain or defeat. "Well then you clearly aren't Apari."

The vampire's red eyes glinted and he blew a blonde curl out of his face. "Exactly, which is why I have no problem with killing you now."

I saw his fangs and heard the wolves growling again, but I never felt the pain of tearing flesh and blood disappearing from my body.

"Mandu, what are you doing?" A female voice said suddenly, appearing in the tree with us. She looked at my knee and then my face.

"What does it look like?" He snarled at her.

"You'd be foolish to kill her when Apari clearly heard her asking for him." She narrowed her eyes, removing me from his grip in one swift movement. I winced as my knee bumped into her stone body.

"Whatever." Mandu snapped, disappearing from sight.

"I apologise for my brother's rudeness." The female sighed, her face emotionless. I couldn't tell if I was in safe hands or the same situation as before.

"Are you Coorah or Ellin?" I asked her. She stared at me for a moment.

"I'm Ellin." She replied, he voice striking and beautiful. I felt myself relax a little in her hold. "Just because I got you away from my brother, do not doubt for a second that I wouldn't dislocate your other knee in a heartbeat." I tensed up again.

She jumped out of the tree, landing in the centre of the wolves. "I will take you to Apari and then it will be his decision what to do with you next." She turned to Sam. "I recommend you phase back to your human forms, Apari will take offence to such a defensive approach."

Jacob looked from me to Sam, hesitant to leave me. I gave him a weak smile and gulped as they turned to leave. Perhaps I was a bit frightened now after all. Edward would have been going mental if he was here.

Ellin turned away from the boys and started walking further into the rainforest. The wildlife had vanished as if terrified of the vampire's presence and I found myself feeling even more alone. Finally I heard footsteps catching up with us and I heaved a sigh of relief.

"I can take her." Jacob said, appearing beside us.

"No, I'll take her." Ellin said it in a way that Jacob knew not to respond, even if they weren't scared of vampires.

I couldn't understand why when she eventually stopped. We were in a much larger space but there was no sign of the other vampires or their habitation.

"They're in the houses, they'll be out in a moment."

"Houses?" Paul repeated. "I can't see any houses."

"Up there." She sighed, bored.

We all looked up, amazed to see three tree houses built into the closely packed trees above. I felt myself almost smile at the surrealism of it. Four dangerous predators living in houses ideally for children.

"Well that's definitely something." Sam said under his breath, equally as amazed.

In the next moment two more vampires appeared in front of us. Coorah hovered slightly behind Apari, both their red eyes glaring at us.

"So you're the guy in charge of this place." Jacob snorted cockily.

"And you'll be kind to remember that, dog." Apari snapped at him. He turned to me, his eyes hovering over my damaged knee. "Explain." He said simply.

"Mandu dislocated it." I mumbled. Apari rolled his eyes.

"I know that, it's a habit of his, he does it to all his victims before drinking their blood." I noticed how all their eyes twinkled at the thought. "I wanted to know why you're here."

"Oh," I said quickly, embarrassed.

"We're here for Carlisle Cullen and his family." Sam stepped in, his jaw set and his eyes fierce. "He said you know of one another."

"It's been a while since I saw Dr. Cullen." Apari replied, his forehead slipping into a frown. "We met at a medical convention in the 1950s. I invited him to study vampire medicine with us and join our family but he said he already had one." I hoped Apari wasn't bitter about this. "We've heard stories though, rumours through other covens about run ins with the Volturi and an infatuation with a human girl." His eyes landed on me again.

"That would be her." Paul snorted, pointing a finger in my direction.

"I thought as much. Not many humans would risk their lives coming to see us on behalf of another vampire. What exactly is it you want?"

"Carlisle and his family are sick." I mumbled, the reminder of their frail state and my knee getting too much.

"Sick? Of course you know vampires can't get sick, otherwise you wouldn't be here. It's not something we come across often either though." Apari explained. My heart sank.

"What exactly do you come across then?" Paul asked impatiently. I heard Ellin sigh.

"Blood addictions, unhealed wounds, we've come across aging in a few cases. It quite often comes down to diet." Coorah responded, stepping out from behind Apari. I knew Carlisle would be intrigued if he was listening. "How exactly are they sick?"

"They think the water back at home has been poisoned, meaning the blood of the animals they drink is also poisoned." I said hurriedly. "They can't keep the blood down and they have temperatures and more recently have been losing their senses." I heard Ellin inhale sharply and Apari and Coorah's eyes widened.

"I forgot that Carlisle was on a 'vegetarian' diet." Apari sighed. "Have they not just tried drinking human blood?"

"Um, no." I felt a bit stupid, was it really that obvious?

Coorah shook her head. "Human blood will help, but if the toxins are already in their body then they'll need something else." I bit my lip, unsure of how the Cullens would feel about drinking human blood.

"Can you give it to us?" Jacob asked.

Coorah laughed. "I don't just give my gifts away for nothing, dog. Besides, I'd have to make it."

"We have money." Sam suggested.

Apari laughed this time. "What good is money to us here?"

I panicked, completely blank of ideas to barter with. "What do you want then? We need this cure urgently, we'll do anything."

Apari smiled. "We'll give you a cure _if _you tell us all about your wolf legends and secrets."

Sam growled.


	14. A Trade

"That is private information." Sam warned. "When you become part of the pack you vow to keep that information within the pack and nowhere else. It's the same as how the Volturi bang on about keeping your secrets."

Apari raised his eyebrows but it was Mandu who spoke, emerging from the trees. "That's just about keeping _the _secret. You know, the fact we live among humans. Eat them and don't talk to them, that kind of thing. Besides, there aren't many ins and outs of our life, you know the drill, you need venom in your system to become a vampire, we don't sleep, we drink blood, we're fast and we have powerful senses. The only part we don't tell you is the gifts some of us possess and that's only because if it's a gift worth having the Volturi want to know about it first."

"Whereas!" Apari continued. "You have blood lines and ancestors. Your shape shifting is a part of you, our lifestyle is what we become if we are unlucky or lucky enough depending on whether you view this as a blessing."

"That's not the point!" Paul argued back. "Besides it sounds like you know most of it already."

"I only know that you are as capable of killing us just as we are you." I looked from Apari to Sam, begging someone to make a decision.

"I'd be betraying my ancestors!" Sam snapped desperately. "Why would I give you information that gives you an advantage against killing us?"

"They're dead just like us!" Apari growled. "It's all about trust, but if you cannot accept our offer then we will happily allow you to leave empty handed. I'm not sure Carlisle will be as understanding."

Sam turned to look at me, frustration radiating off of him. I stared back, my eyes full of tears and my knee throbbing. I wished I'd paid more attention when they'd told me the legends and I could told the stories myself. I knew I'd be sharing Jacob's most prized secrets but I knew I'd do anything for Edward if it meant he could get better.

"Bella you can't expect us to do this, I'm sorry." Jacob sighed. "We tried ok? That'll mean something to the Cullens."

"It won't heal them though!" I cried, hot tears rolling down my cheeks. "We came all this way, I had my knee dislocated and we're going to go home empty handed. Imagine what Edward's going to say when we return unable to cure them and when he learns my knee got busted in the process. You owe them especially, Jacob." Seth's eyes widened at the thought. Yes it was blackmail, but I was desperate.

I realised I was still hanging out of Ellin's arms, she didn't seem to mind though. She just carried on sighing.

"Make a decision already!" Mandu snapped. "I'm having a hard time not draining that whiny girl." His eyes focused on me.

"Sam, please assure me you're not going to do this." Paul said quietly, placing a hand on Sam's shoulder. "We don't owe the Cullens this much."

Sam took a deep breath, shrugging Paul off. "We'll tell you what you want to know but I want to see the cure first." The wolves groaned, throwing their hands up in the air.

Apari grinned. "Deal." They shook hands and the moment Sam let go, Paul swore loudly.

"I cannot believe you just agreed to that."

"Sam, I'll never be able to thank you enough." I said from Ellin's arms. Sam nodded but didn't meet my eyes. If Leah hated me now I dreaded to think how she'd be towards me when we returned home. Not to mention the rest of the pack.

"Can you do something about Bella's knee, or do you need to know her life story too?" Jacob asked sarcastically.

"I will if you keep on with that attitude." Coorah glared at him.

In the next moment I felt a gush of wind and was suddenly in one of the tree houses. It was much higher up than it looked, Jacob and the others looked tiny from where I was standing. The house itself had cut out windows but no glass, and the door was a curtain of strips of bark and leaves. Coorah appeared beside us and walked into the house, indicating that we should follow her.

"Alright, Bells?" Jacob called up, his voice concerned.

"I'm fine, Jake." At least I was for now.

Ellin carried me through the leafy doorway and into the hut, heading towards a hammock made from one huge leaf. I winced as I was lowered down, my knee protesting against being shifted. It was only when I looked back up that I realised how amazing the hut really was.

The room was full of books and journals, some lay open with scribbles over the pages and hand drawn diagrams. Others were slotted neatly and in alphabetical order on bookcases hand crafted from tree trunks, mainly just typical medical texts and encyclopedias. It was like Carlisle's study but in a tree instead.

"This is where Ellin and I do our work," Coorah said from the other side of the room, rummaging in another hand crafted box while Ellin approached me with a knife. I gulped. "One of the huts is Apari's and the other hut is, well it's just another hut."

I held my breath as the knife came closer, heaving a huge sigh of relief when it sliced most of my trouser leg off rather than a limb. "It'll make it easier to deal with without the material in the way." I smirked as she cut the other leg to make it even, leaving me with a pair of shorts.

"There isn't much I can do with a dislocated knee apart from pop it back into place and strap it up." My stomach lurched at the thought. "You won't feel a thing though." I frowned, confused, until Ellin spoke.

"I can manipulate you into feeling nothing. You'll be numb." She explained, her face still expressionless. I would be thankful for her gift now, but I dreaded to think what sort of person she was before she became a vampire. Probably the school bully who could make someone feel like they were nothing with only a matter of words.

"One of the Cullens can manipulate emotions," I said to Ellin. "He can make you feel anything."

"I only have the ability to make you feel nothing." Ellin said blankly. I was beginning to realise how much this gift suited her. "It's a great help alongside Coorah's work. She has the ability to heal."

"You're being incredibly welcoming considering you are vampires who drink human blood." I mumbled, secretly afraid that it was too good to be true. Ellin and Coorah both stared at me for a moment before answering.

"We are healers, Bella." Coorah said eventually. "Yes we drink human blood but we do feel remorse. We much prefer to heal and give life than take or drain it. Apari and I were doctors before we were turned, imagine how it felt going from preventing blood loss to draining it?"

"What about Mandu?" I raised my eyebrows. "He doesn't seem to mind."

"Mandu is a loose canon." Ellin smirked and I had to readjust to the idea of seeing a smile on her face. "He's not as restrained as we are. He's kind of like Apari's apprentice. A work in progress perhaps."

"Besides," Coorah interrupted. "What's a human girl doing hanging out with vampires and wolves?"

I felt my cheeks flush. "Edward and I met at school. I'm his singer."

"Wow. That's unusual." Ellin remarked. "No wonder the Volturi are so obsessed with you."

"They say I know too much. It's basically either I become a vampire or I die."

"And?" Coorah prompted.

"Edward won't turn me. Not yet anyway."

Coorah and Ellin both approached me cautiously, a bundle of leaves and rope in one of Coorah's hands. I took a deep breath as Ellin placed a cold stone hand on my right leg, the entire thing becoming numb instantly.

Coorah's hands came next, placing one on either side of my knee cap she felt around until she'd found where she wanted them. She flashed her eyes to my face and then moved her hands quickly. When I looked back down my knee was already straight and wrapped in a bandage of leaves, held together by a thin rope made of tree bark. I hadn't felt a thing.

"Bella." Coorah said suddenly. "You don't suppose this is a warning from the Volturi because you're still human do you?"

I gasped.


	15. The Cure

The thought had crossed my mind before. It would hardly be surprising if it were true, if anything it would be typical. Typical that once again the Cullens were in trouble because of me.

"I suppose it is a possibility." I mumbled. "But regardless of who did it, can you help them?"

"I couldn't tell you what the poison is, it could be anything from pest killer and weed killer to something more industrial. But I can give you cure to clear it from their body.' Coorah explained, flicking through her journals.

"Right." I said, drumming my hands on my stomach impatiently.

"I can make up a simple cure, but you should know that there's a catch, Bella."

"Oh god, what now?" I groaned, hadn't we already had enough catches?

"The cure has to be taken with human blood."

Human blood. I knew that this wasn't going to go down well, with Edward particularly. "But what about their vegetarian diet?" I whined.

"Part of the reason it has affected them so badly is because of their animal blood diet. Animal blood doesn't make them as strong as they have the potential to be, Bella. For this to work they have to drink human blood."

How was I going to explain that to Edward? How would Edward cope with the taste of human blood? Would it send him off the rails and affect our relationship?

"Do you understand, Bella?" Ellin asked suddenly. I knew that Edward wouldn't agree and I knew I didn't want him to drink it but at the same time his health came before any of it. For Edward to get better this was a risk we'd all have to take.

"Yes, I understand."

Coorah nodded once and then went back to her journals, tracing her own handwriting with her left index finger and mumbling to herself. "It's essentially blood poisoning," she said out loud. "The lack of fresh blood is what is shutting down their systems. They basically need antibiotics, but as simple as it sounds it's really not. As you know vampires shouldn't need antibiotics in the first place. I need to make some that are digestible in their bodies, hence the requirement of human blood."

"So how will they take it?" I asked. Any antibiotics I'd had were swallowed in tablet form.

"It'll be a liquid. They basically will just have to dissolve it in the human blood and drink it. A blood bag will do."

At least it would be easy for Carlisle to access blood bags from the hospitals. I just wasn't sure how cooperative the Cullens would be in terms of drinking them.

"How long do you think it'll be before they are back to normal?" I bit my lip hoping I hadn't left it too long.

Coorah turned to me and smiled sympathetically. "I shouldn't think too long at all. Human blood effects are fairly instant. I'd give it an hour for their senses to get back to full working order."

"And is there is a point where it's too late to cure them?" My heart raced.

"I couldn't say, Bella. I've never come across this before."

I could only nod in response, secretly hoping Coorah would hurry along the making of the cure process. The sooner I could get on a plane with it the better.

Coorah moved at inhuman speed, her actions a blur to my human eyes. I heard glass chink, leaves rip and liquid drip into a vial. The rest of the Cullen's lives was right there in that one single vial. Coorah had no idea how much was depending on her gift or how many people.

Just as I was about to pester again, Coorah turned to me with the vial in hand, placing it into my own. "One drop of this with human blood per vampire. Without the human blood this isn't going to work, ok?" I squealed and grinned at her, my eyes welling up with tears.

"Thank you, Coorah. And you, Ellin." They both nodded and lifted me off the hammock. I was surprised that I wasn't offered two sticks as crutches.

"Time to find the others, your wolves have their end of the bargain to keep up."

I gulped knowing full well how badly this would go. I was asking a lot more of them than I had the right to. Ellin picked me up and walked out of the house with Coorah in toe. After a small gush of wind we were back on the ground where Apari, Mandu and the wolves waited impatiently. When Jacob saw me he marched straight over, pulling me out of Ellin's arms and into his own.

"Are you ok?" He asked quietly, looking down at my strapped up knee.

"They gave me the cure." I grinned at him.

"I don't care about the bloody cure, Bella, I want to know that you're ok." He frowned.

"I'm fine, Jake." I assured. "They did a great job. Ellin has the gift of making you feel nothing, it was totally pain free."

Jacob leant in and kissed my head, sighing into my hair. "How does the world's most accident prone human get caught up in all this crap?"

"That would be Edward's fault." Seth added, smirking.

"So I suppose it's time for us to do our bit." Sam said quietly, turning towards Apari.

"Just hold on one moment," Apari smiled. "This is how it's going to work."

"So now you're going to tell us how to spill our most prized secrets?" Paul snarled.

"You will return to Forks with the cure, make sure you send our best wishes to Carlisle and his family." Apari said, taking us all by surprise.

"Huh?" Jacob's face crumpled in confusion. Coorah and Ellin looked at one another equally as baffled.

"Sam will stay to tell the tales. I don't want you influencing him into keeping any information from us." Apari looked smug.

"We can't leave him here on his own!" Seth cried.

"We won't!" Paul snarled.

"He won't be on his own." Apari grinned. We all looked at one another confused. 'Bella will be staying too."

I felt Jacob rumble against me, his breath shallow. "Absolutely not. Forget it. Someone else can stay, I'll stay." He snapped.

"I don't want you, I want Bella. She fascinates me. And I might need her for a bit of persuasion to get Sam talking."

"I'll stay." I said, my voice shaking. Jacob glared at me.

"No you won't." Jacob commanded and then coughed. "Edward will kill me."

"Jacob, this isn't going to work out any other way. Please just accept that." I groaned.

"Bella is staying, Jacob." Sam said in his alpha voice. Jacob's eyes narrowed but eventually he relented, staring at me with worried eyes.

"You three mutts should probably get moving." Mandu spat at Seth, Jacob and Paul.

Jacob lowered his face to me. "Stay safe, Bells. Sam will look after you but if that phone ever gets going - use it."

"I will, Jake. Make sure you get that cure to the Cullens, and tell Edward I'm coming back and that I love him." I saw pain in Jacob's eyes but these things had to be said. I placed the vial in his hands. "I'll see you soon, Jake."

"I'll see you soon, Bells." I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tightly for a moment. I hoped I would see him soon.

Jacob handed me back to Ellin and walked over to say goodbye to Sam. I couldn't believe we were having to go our separate ways when we'd come so far altogether.

"Good luck." Paul said to Sam and I.

"And you." Sam said, he was clearly not impressed by the arrangement.

The boys turned and walked away, disappearing through the trees and leaving us staring after them.

"So, let's talk." Apari smiled.


	16. Give Me That

*Edward's POV*

Forks

I was completely miserable and felt like a total invalid. I could barely hear a thing apart from a buzzing whenever someone spoke and I'd lost all sense of smell. I hated feeling useless. In fact, I felt the way I had done before I became a vampire. I felt human. On the other hand it was quite nice not to be able to hear anyone's thoughts for a change.

Since Bella had left for Queensland I'd shut myself off in my room, not that any of my family were feeling particularly sociable anyway, but their equally as disintegrated senses meant they didn't know where I was most of the time and I quite liked knowing I was completely alone. What I didn't like knowing was that Bella was half way across the world in the middle of a rainforest with a pack of wolves and human blood drinking vampires that we'd never met before. I'd trusted Carlisle when he'd said their leader, Apari, posed no threat to Bella but what about the other three? What if they couldn't keep their thirst under control? I knew Jacob would look after her, I just tried to forget why. I knew it was my own fault, to leave Bella dependant on someone for so long would naturally result in feelings of some form, I just wish I'd thought it through a bit more. Not that the situation behind leaving was dealt with very well anyway.

I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that if anything happened to Bella in Australia it would my fault for her being there in the first place. And then there was guilt for the fact that if Bella hadn't gone I would most likely die and we'd be apart. Either scenario had the possibility of one of our deaths, I could still die if Bella didn't make it back in time, and then she might end up with Jacob. I shuddered. I shouldn't have even been able to shudder. It didn't help that we hadn't heard from them in days and couldn't get through on the phone.

We were all still dumbfounded as to who and what had poisoned our feed. Carlisle had given up after falling victim to losing his sense of touch, claiming that he didn't like not being able to know he was turning a page in his books or tapping at his laptop's keyboard, while Jasper had remained positive, although now no longer able to influence everyone else into feeling the same way. I had been quietly thinking, quietly trying to solve the puzzle, but with no luck. The only people I could think of who would carry out such a cruel act were the Volturi, but why? What had we done wrong now apart from Bella still being human? Surely they hadn't done it for that? Why would they try to kill us to prove that point? To leave Bella defenceless while knowing too much so they could make a move? I sat immediately upright on my bed, was I onto something?

My door was suddenly thrown off its hinges, my thoughts flying with it as they were replaced with annoyance for not being able to sense that someone was approaching.

"Get up, NOW!" Jacob was suddenly in my face, roaring. I could hear that at least.

"What are you doing here?" I shouted back. Watching as he turned and disappeared from my room. I pulled myself off the bed, groaning, and made my way to the lounge below where my family were huddled under their blankets and three wolves stood in front of them. But no alpha and no Bella.

"We weren't expecting you back so soon." Carlisle said quietly, or at least it was quiet to me.

"Where the hell is Bella?" I snapped, looking at them frantically. Seth looked up at me with sad eyes and I felt my dead heart drop to my stomach. I turned away unsure how to react at the news I felt was coming.

"We got the cure." Jacob said finally. I strained my ears to listen but the cure was pointless without Bella. Where was she?

"At a price though." Paul snarled, as though he might kill us all if he could.

A price. Oh no. Surely they wouldn't have traded Bella and their own alpha to help us? How could Jacob do that? He wa supposed to love them both. I saw Carlisle's lips moving but only a faint buzzing coming out. I turned back around and took another step into the room.

"...nothing too costly on your part I hope?" Carlisle finished the sentence that I'd been tuned out of.

"They wanted to know all our pack secrets, our legends and about our ancestors. They wanted to know why we are your natural enemies, all our prized and most private knowledge." Jacob sighed.

"Couldn't they read it in a book?" Emmett grunted, now a hollow face on a muscular body.

"That kind of information isn't in books you idiot." Paul spat at him. I saw Emmett's hand twitch.

"So what about Bella?" I snapped again.

"And Sam?" Someone else added.

"The deal was that we got to bring the cure to you as long as Sam stayed to tell the stories and Bella...stayed to motivate him."

I snarled. 'Jacob Black, give me that cure so I can rip your head off for leaving her there!"

"What did you expect us to do? Sam's orders." He shouted at me. Sam had ordered them to allow Bella to stay? I was so angry. If I hadn't been so weak and useless I could have crushed him and sent his remains to Sam as a warning.

"Is she going to be ok?" Esme asked, just as worried as I was.

"The women won't hurt her and Apari seems far too loyal to his friendship with Carlisle to bother." Jacob looked at Seth and then looked down.

"But?" I felt my anger boil again.

"That Mandu is a creep. He dislocated her knee cap as soon as we got there."

I punched the wall, astounded when it didn't even crack the plaster and instead grazed my marble hand. "And you left her there with him?"

"The women reset her knee and bandaged it up. Hopefully they'll let them both go once Sam has done his bit." _Hopefully_ was an understatement.

"No, we need to get over there." I demanded. "Before more than her kneecap gets dislocated."

"We need to be cured before we do anything." Carlisle reasoned.

"Speaking of which, hand it over, dog." Rosalie whined.

"A please would be nice, or even a thank you for saving your sorry stone ass." Jacob frowned. Rosalie raised her eyebrows.

"We are all extremely grateful for what you've done and cannot thank you enough." Esme cut in, throwing Rosalie a warning glare.

"We don't know if it works yet." Paul muttered. My ears burned from straining to hear so intently. Enough of the talking already, I had to take the cure so I could find Bella on time.

"If you would be so kind, Jacob." Carlisle said, opening his hand.

The boys looked at one another. "There's a catch." Everyone groaned.

"What else have you traded?" Emmett rolled his eyes.

"This has to be taken with human blood." Nobody spoke for a second, all turning their eyes to Jasper and I who were unfortunately the least in control of their thirst. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Jasper shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "A small amount should be fine. I'll just have to remain indoors until I'm back on a stable vegetarian diet. I might have to skip the vacation to Queensland."

I didn't have a time to be worrying about the effect human blood would have on me, if it meant finding Bella then it was going to have to do. "Carlisle keeps blood bags upstairs for emergencies. They are in the first room on the left."

I shot a look at Jacob who scurried up the stairs, the floorboards creaking under his weight as he went. I could still feel the eyes of my family burning holes in me, waiting for me to say something.

"What is it?" I said eventually.

"Edward, are you... can handle...?" Carlisle sighed, I signalled for him to speak up. "Can you handle this?"

I wasn't in the mood for a lecture or a reminder that if Bella was bleeding when I got to her I might not be able to control myself, so I just used my ears to my advantage. "Sorry, can't hear you. Tell me later."

Jacob appeared at the right time, laden with blood bags, a look of disgust spread across his face. I gestured for Jacob to put them on the table with the cure while Seth brought over glasses from the kitchen.

"What do we do with it?" I asked, rolling a vial in my hands.

"Dilute it in the blood and drink it." Jacob shrugged, tearing open a bag and pouring it into the first glass. It seemed ridiculously easy considering the complications that the illness had caused for us and the mystery of it. I pulled the bung out of the vial and poured a single drop into each of the glasses as Jacob filled them with blood. I felt my stomach tighten at the thought of drinking human blood again as I curled my fingers around my glass.

Paul and Seth handed out the rest of the glasses to my family and took a step back as if expecting us to transform into something completely different. Jasper sniffed once and downed it, licking his lips with his eyes glinting. He already looked like a normal vampire. Alice, who had been very quiet, sipped hers tentatively, as did Esme. Carlisle, Emmett and Rosalie downed theirs too, looking at one another for immediate improvements. It was my turn.

I brought the blood to my lips and drank, pushing back the reminders of drinking straight from a pulsing human neck.

_I hope this won't ruin Jasper's progress. _

"He'll be fine, Alice." Everyone looked at me. "What?"

"Edward I didn't say that out loud. Did you hear that?" Alice smiled. I couldn't help but smile back, could we really be cured so easily?

_Finally I'm beautiful again. Although I probably pulled off being sick elegantly too. _I raised my eyebrows at Rosalie remembering the cons of being a mind reader.

"Jasper, calm down." I heard Carlisle say suddenly, already on his feet and restraining Jasper with Emmett's help.

"I want more blood!" Jasper roared, breaking loose and snatching the rest of the blood bags from the table. His thoughts were focused on one thing, he couldn't even feel Alice tugging at his hand. Jacob tackled him to the floor, knocking the blood bags out of his hands as Emmett dragged him up the stairs, clawing at the carpet like some possessed animal.

Alice stared into space, her eyes focused but wide and frantic as if searching. She softened at the sight of Jasper feeding on Elk and then a scene of the two of them walking amongst humans, Jasper smiling at her, not affected by the blood pumped bodies around them. At least we knew the animals were going to be safe to feed on at some point in the future.

"We knew there would be risks." Carlisle justified, feeling Esme's face. "You feel normal again, Esme."

"They said to wait at least an hour." Seth gawped. "That barely took a second."

"Amazing." Carlisle agreed. "I should like to come to Queensland, Edward. Once we have located Bella I would like to see Coorah's work and thank her in person."

Bella.

"We have to go now!" I shot through the kitchen swiping my keys from the hook. I'd forgotten how amazing it felt to move at such a speed. It was like waking up as a vampire for the first time.


	17. Mandu The Maniac

*Bella's POV*

Queensland

We sat around a fire for the fourth time since we'd been made to stay here. Apari kept asking for more stories and secrets but I could tell Sam was running out of things to say. I could also tell he'd been holding back on a lot of the information he'd given out, and so could Apari. The line of cuts down my left arm was also a symbol of that, one for every detail Apari felt Sam had left out. The wounds were just one simple cut, not too deep and without too much blood loss, but they were a warning and a reminder of the help we owed them back for. Whenever the stone blade had sliced through my skin I had closed my eyes and thought of Edward and his family, hopefully all radiating with health now that they'd been cured. It also helped deal with the feeling of unease towards Mandu staring at me as the skin opened and oozed my blood. I had already decided that if anything went wrong here then he would be the cause of it.

I still couldn't put weight on my leg and was relying on Ellin and Sam to carry me around, not that there was really anywhere to go apart from to our makeshift hammocks that had been assembled by Mandu and Apari in one of the huts. It was the hut that had just been described as a 'hut' but was in fact full of souvenirs. Souvenirs that Mandu had taken from the tourists he has slaughtered. On the first night Sam had nearly destroyed them all in outrage after learning the back story.

Neither of us had eaten since we'd first arrived here. There had been issues more pressing than eating and we weren't entirely sure what we were supposed to eat. Neither of us wanted to ask and we couldn't get free of the site to get something anyway. I knew Sam suffered the hunger more than I did, I didn't have a big appetite anyway, but he usually ate enough for 4 people. I just hoped we'd be out of here soon.

"Do you know anyone who deals with werwolf medicine?" Apari asked, poking at the fire with a stick.

"We are human too," Sam mumbled, disinterested.

"But surely there have been issues in which you needed specialist help?" He pressed.

"Sure." Sam sighed, now staring at his hands.

Apari suddenly appeared beside me but I already knew what was coming. I offered my arm but he took the other one, realising the lack of room left on the original one. Sam looked up as the blade came down on my skin and dug into it, making me wince as it sliced though. Usually this prompted a response from Sam and another story but this time he looked away.

"No longer willing to save your human friend?" Apari asked, a crease forming in the stone skin between his eyes.

"I've had enough of this!" Sam exclaimed suddenly. "I have told you everything, more than once on some occasions. Let us go home."

"If you claim to have told me everything then why don't I believe you?"

I tried to shut my eyes and block out the arguement, gasping when the tip of the knife suddenly pressed into my underarm and began slicing it's way down towards my hand. "What are you doing!" I cried, trying to pull away, but I was in a steel lock. It was like being trapped by a boulder.

"I haven't got anything else to tell you!" Sam growled. "Stop that, this wasn't part of the deal!" I felt the blade dig deeper and I screamed, making eye contact with Coorah who looked like she wasn't coping with the situation before her. She turned away.

"Bella understands." Apari said simply. Yes, I did understand. I understood that he'd help save the lives of the vampires I loved. I understood that we were carrying out our part of the deal. And now I understood that they would do whatever it took to get what they wanted.

A growl from the opposite side of the site distracted us all. I looked up as Mandu threw Apari to the ground, taking me with him, leaves, insects and dirt tangling in my hair and smudging against my face as I hit the ground. As I tried to pick myself up I felt the shoe on my dislocated leg resist and suddenly I was face down in the dirt being dragged away. I thrashed about, clawing at the undergrowth in an effort to anchor myself still. Pains shot up my knee and I wasn't surprised when the all too familar 'pop' sounded.

Mandu hauled me off the ground, pulling my bleeding arm to his face as he stared at it with hungry eyes. I opened my mouth to scream again but Ellin's face replaced his, throwing me into the arms of Sam as she wrestled Mandu to the ground.

"Sam what do we do?" I cried, clinging onto him for dear life. He stared ahead, running away from the site and the sounds of the forest coming to pieces as vampires collided with it.

"Run."

The trees blurred into one as we raced through them but it wasn't long before Mandu fell out of a tree in front of us and charged at Sam, throwing me aside in the process. I collided with a tree trunk, scraping the skin on my nose and bruising my face. As I rolled back to face the action Sam's body shook and threw Mandu backwards, leaving him face to face with a huge black wolf.

"Give me the girl and you can go." He bargained. Sam snarled in response, baring his teeth. "Stupid mutt!" He charged at Sam, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him onto the ground beneath him, fangs at the ready.

"No you'll kill him!" I shrieked, reaching out pointlessly. I knew all too well what vampire venom would do to a wolf and Sam had done so much for me the past few days, I wasn't prepared to watch him die. "Leave him alone, for goodness sake take me instead." It sounded like a cheesey line from a film where the damsel in distress is trying to play the hero. I wasn't 100% sure what I was trying to achieve other than keeping Sam alive, I didn't even consider what might happen to me next.

Mandu pulled Sam's huge head back and smashed it on the ground in one swift moment, rendering him unconscious. I was defenceless now and the first course on the menu.

"Mandu, stop what you're doing." Apari cautioned, appearing next to Sam's lifeless body. Coorah and Ellin appeared moments later, peeling Sam's eyelids back to ensure he was still alive. I noticed that he was beginning to blur again, each vibration shrinking his frame until he was in his naked human form, but no one had time to consider dignity or embarrassment.

"You're not the boss of me, Apari, you can't tell me what to do. You've got what you wanted from the girl and the wolf so now she's no use to you, leave her for me." Mandu spat.

"I am a man of my word, Mandu, as you very well know. I made a deal with our visitors and not one part of it mentioned her becoming your meal."

Mandu sauntered towards me, ignoring the commands from his coven leader. As Apari sped towards him Mandu shot forward, throwing me over his shoulder and jumping into a tree. I heard the startled birds take off and leave, squawking as they went. How I wished I could fly.

"Would you consider sharing with me, Apari?" Mandu asked. It was almost as though he didn't want to get into trouble but would do it regardless.

"I am tired of your games, Mandu." Apari sighed, landing on a branch beside us. "This is ridiculous. Hand her over." I was now beginning to feel like the prize in pass the parcel, only more battered, bruised and dislocated.

"I'm embracing my true nature, Apari. It's about time you did too."

"You're supposed to make the most of your gift, that's why you're here with us." It was impossible to believe that Mandu was really a healer too, he seemed more interested in inflicting pain.

Mandu shrugged and turned away, running off the edge of the branch. I felt my heart drop to my stomach and slow motion take over as we soared through the space between us and the next tree. As Mandu's feet hit the new branch I felt as though I had been winded, the air rushing free from my lungs with so much urgency. I wanted to cry. I wanted to be put down and tell this maniac to get a grip so I could go home. I wanted to be childish and tell him that my boyfriend would be looking for me and that he should be very afraid, but the truth was I had no idea what Edward was doing and instead was frozen to the spot, my fingers digging into Mandu's marble skin from the fear of falling to my death. I was totally useless and with Sam unconscious I was just plain hopeless.

I hoped Mandu wasn't like James and didn't play with his food, but I remembered what he'd done to my knee and how Apari had said it was a habit of his. Things weren't looking good. Not that they were anyway. We jumped a few more trees, leaving the other vampires and Sam behind us. Perhaps they had given up because after all I was just a normal human. They didn't exactly owe me anything.

I'd kept my eyes shut for the jumping but when I realised we had stopped I was surprised to find that we were in another tree hut. I was suddenly flipped off of his shoulder and onto the wooden planks of the floor, splintering my hands as I tried to break my fall. I was relieved that this hut wasn't decorated with the souvenirs of his victims, but instead blood spatters across the floor and up the walls. A lot of tourists had clearly ended their adventures here. I felt a pang of sadness for those who had come before me, but a warm feeling in my chest reminded me that I'd fulfilled my purpose here.

"This is the fun part." Mandu smirked, pushing me up against the wall and sniffing my neck, rubbing it with his nose. He pressed his lips to my skin once and then pulled away. It was like the plot to an incredibly sick film. I thrashed about, flinging my arms and legs with as much force as I could. I wasn't going down without a fight that was for sure. "I always have enjoyed a meal with a bit of a kick." I only wished my kicks actually made a difference.

I was suddenly thrown to the other side of the hut, busting my lip as it caught in between the wooden planks. I yelped in pain, wiping at its oozing with the back of my hand. This only drove him more insane.

"Now you're just teasing!' He grinned, his eyes focused on the blood dripping from my mouth and smeared across my cheek.

Out the corner of my eye I saw the doorway only a stretch away and decided there was only one thing for it. If I was going to die here today then I was going to do it my way, I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. As Mandu came forward again I took a deep breath and threw myself to the side, rolling out the door until I was falling from the tree hut. Falling to my death.


	18. Catch Me

*Edward's POV*

Queensland

I could smell Bella's blood even from the ferry, but there was something wrong, it was too potent, too fresh. "Carlisle, I think Bella is bleeding." I said quickly, my throat burning at the thought. Now was not the time to give myself over to my feeding instinct. I didn't want to hurt Bella, I had to be in control.

"I was thinking the same thing." Carlisle said frowning. "The scent is certainly strong."

I could feel Alice's eyes burning into the back of my head. "Are you sure you're going to be ok, Edward?"

"I'll have to be." The closer the ferry got to the rainforest the more my throat burned. I had forgotten the satisfaction that came with the taste of human blood and the craving for more that followed. It didn't help that Bella's blood called to me with the sweetest smell I'd ever come across. I mentally kicked myself for not feeding on the wildlife before we left, but then I remembered the poison and the torture I'd just recovered from and decided it was probably a good job I hadn't anyway. The airports and plane journeys had also been a struggle with their overcrowding of pulsing human bodies. I'd tried to focus on Bella instead but now that we were here it seemed focusing on Bella wasn't going to be much help either. I just hoped that if I did have to come across her crumpled and bleeding then I would be able to turn my hunger into hatred towards whoever had caused it rather than drain the rest of what was left.

I was pleased that Jasper had remained at home under the restraint and supervision of Emmett, Rosalie and Esme. If he couldn't control himself around a blood bag I dreaded to even imagine what would have happened if we'd brought him along with us. He probably would have ripped Bella apart as easily as the plastic of that blood bag. I pressed the bridge of my nose at the thought.

It was so humiliating waiting for the ferry to reach the forest when we could have swum over in half the time, maybe even less after ingesting human blood. It was amazing what a drop of human blood could do, blood kept them alive but compared to what it did to us, they didn't even know what being alive meant. I felt my throat dry out, my senses immediately latching onto the thrumming heartbeats of the tourists behind us. I felt my feet take a step backwards when Alice's hand suddenly grabbed hold of my wrist.

"No, Edward," her eyes were wide and I knew she'd seen what was about to happen. "Remember they have lives and loved ones too. If you do that now you'll never get to Bella on time."

I hung my head, ashamed of the actions that I hadn't actually gone ahead with but that Alice had already seen. I was surprised she hadn't seen Bella yet, but perhaps Sam was blocking her visions. At least that meant Sam was with her, even if she was wounded.

"Stay strong, Edward. You'll forget about your thirst when you see that Bella needs you." Carlisle tried to comfort me but he didn't sound so sure himself. One look into his mind and I knew what he really meant was that he was going to have to keep an extra close eye on me.

I was relieved when the ferry pulled into the harbour but a gasp from Alice rooted me to the spot. "Edward, she's going to fall." Her eyes were unfocused.

"When?" I asked, placing my hands on her boney shoulders. I could see Bella in her mind, suddenly flying out of a tree house as if she'd just thrown herself from it and landing in a lifeless crumpled heap on the ground below.

"In 30 seconds..."

I missed whatever she was about to say next as I launched myself off the ferry and left her and Carlisle gawking after me as I raced to prevent what Alice and I had seen. I ran so fast that I could hardly make out my surroundings, everything was just a green blur. If it wasn't for the scent of Bella's blood I wouldn't have had a clue as to where I was meant to be going.

When the smell became so strong that I could have mistaken her for being beside me, I looked up. I saw her fling herself out the doorway of the tree house and shot forward with my arms open and waiting. I made it just in time as she collapsed into my body, flinging her eyes open with the shock of colliding with something so solid.

"Edward!" She screamed, her eyes so wide I thought her eyeballs were going to fall out. My own eyes narrowed in on her wounds, the grazed nose, black eye and busted lip that was oozing her sweet sweet blood. My throat set alight but I shook it off, filling up with anger instead.

"Who?" Was all I managed to say before Bella burst into tears and through her arms around me.

"You're ok!" She wept. "You're not sick any more! I thought we'd taken too long, I've been so worried!" Was she for real? I'd just caught her mid suicidal jump from a tree with a face full of wounds and a dislocated knee and yet she was crying about me. I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth to repeat my question when another vampire landed beside us, throwing Bella from my arms. I felt my lip curl as I stared at the vampire who had no doubt been the cause of my girlfriend's injuries.

"How dare you touch her!" I snarled, launching myself at him. I assumed he was Mandu but there was no time for introductions, I was too busy trying to rip off his head.

*Bella's POV*

It was like pass the parcel all over again, except now the two players were fighting til the death. I still couldn't believe that Edward was here in the rainforest, healthy as ever. It was as if there had never been anything wrong. As I cowered behind a tree I couldn't help but notice how much stronger, faster and yet more elegant he seemed. His face was fiercer and more angular as he rolled in the undergrowth with Mandu, trying to tear his limbs away from his body. I grimaced as I remembered that this must have come as a result of drinking the human blood. Edward was now performing at his full potential and yet I didn't know how to feel about it.

I covered my face with my hands as Mandu threw Edward upwards into the air, smashing through the floor and ceiling of the tree house as he went, sending wood splintering for miles. In only a matter of seconds Edward was back on the ground, not an injury to show for what he'd just indured, and spun Mandu by his arm until it became unattached from his body. My stomach churned.

"Bella!" Alice suddenly appeared beside me, her nose wrinkling at the smell of my blood but yet somehow managing it. "Are you ok?"

Carlisle's hands were suddenly on either side of my face, staring into my eyes as if looking for some sign of trauma or shock. "Bella, where is Sam?"

I bit my lip. Where was Sam? "I don't know. Mandu separated us, he was back there with the others."

"With Apari?" Carlisle asked, his hands now investigating my newly dislocated knee. Why had Apari not caught up with us? Was something wrong with Sam?

"Yes and Coorah and Ellin." I said hurriedly, crying out in pain as his probed at my leg. I noticed Edward's head instinctively snap my way, his eyes narrowing as Mandu charged at him again, this time with one arm.

"Alice, you must help Edward. We have to get Mandu back to Apari so he can decide what must be done."

"But Carlisle he needs to be destroyed, he's intent on killing Bella!" Alice squealed.

"That's not our call to make, Apari is his leader. Alice, please." Alice gave in with a sigh and disappeared, intervening in the fight. I felt a small gush of unnatural breeze and noticed that all three of them had vanished. I turned my attention back to Carlisle.

"Is Jasper ok?" I asked him as he re-secured the bandage around my leg, there wasn't much he could do in the rainforest without his bag. I noticed how he pursed his lips before he spoke.

"He's struggling, as to be expected. We thought it would be best if he didn't come."

"And Edward?" I asked warily. Although he seemed fine when he'd caught me, there was something strained and tense about him, as though he was holding back. Carlisle opened his mouth to answer but Edward appeared beside him, his face panic stricken.

"Is she ok?" He asked Carlisle, his eyes bouncing from his face to mine.

"I'm fine, Edward." I said quickly, but he ignored me, waiting for Carlisle to speak. I rolled my eyes.

"She'll be fine, Edward. A bit of stitching and a cast for her leg will do the trick." I groaned, not another cast. Edward chuckled as if he'd read my mind for once and brushed my hair behind my ears.

"Alice is with the others. Apari will deal with Mandu now. Sam is also fine, whatever wounds he did have are healed now." He explained to Carlisle and then turned to me. "That's the last time you ever save my life!" He began leaning in to kiss me. I inhaled his scent, waiting for his stone lips to touch mine.

"No, Edward!" Carlisle cried. I was confused at first, why didn't he want Edward to kiss me, was he embarrassed? Couldn't he just look away?

Edward's lips moulded perfectly to mine as if they'd never been apart, I began to kiss him back until I winced. I forgot my lip was busted. I forgot it was bleeding and I suddenly understood Carlisle's concern. My eyes widened in shock as Edward's tongue ran over the wound, tasting my blood as it trickled out. I took a deep breath and tried to turn my head away but a sudden growl left me frozen in place.

"Edward." Was all I managed to whisper and he lifted his head, staring at me with thirsty eyes.

"It tastes so good, just as I remember." He sighed, returning back to my lips eagerly. His tongue was suddenly replaced by his own lips, now sucking at the wound. I could feel my blood rushing to my face, trying to keep up with the furious flow that was being demanded. I reached out for Carlisle frantically, waving my hands arounds and kicking my legs.

"Edward stop. You've stopped before, you can do it again." He grabbed Edward's arm but he shook him off, throwing Carlisle backwards. I knew Carlisle was referring to the time that Edward had sucked James' venom out of me, he'd struggled to prevent himself from draining me altogether but he'd found a way and saved my life. This time it was as though he didn't want to stop.

I wriggled against him, hammering his back with my fists, but he was too strong and I felt myself becoming slowly more and more lightheaded. Edward was going to kill me. There wasn't even going to be time for a transition.

For a moment he paused and I was sure he was going to come to his senses. I pulled my head away, and attempted to push Edward's head from mine, but in one swift movement he pinned my arms to my sides and sauntered back towards me. I'd never truly been frightened of Edward before, never really seen him as the vampire he was supposed to be, but now I felt like this was a completely different person to the one I'd fallen in love with and risked my life to save. Deep down I knew his blood lust was my fault, I'd got him a human blood requiring cure and was now bleeding in front of him, but I also truly believed he loved me enough to stop.

I was wrong.

Two sharp pains simultaneously in my lower lip confirmed three things:

1) Edward had bitten me

2) He was going to drain me of blood

3) There was nothing I could do about it

And so I closed my eyes and let it happen.


	19. In Which Emmett Hates Edward

*Edward's POV*

I couldn't believe what I'd just done. And Emmett wasn't making it any easier.

"You're a freakin' idiot." He shouted at me, whacking me round the head and then continuing to pace up and down the hospital corridor.

He'd flown out for 'moral support', although it was more like to make me feel even worse than I already did. Apari's coven and Carlisle combined couldn't do anything for Bella apart from throw me off of her and restrain me while Alice was relied upon to suck out the venom I'd injected. I'd left Bella so empty and weak that she hadn't even had the strength to scream in agony or lash about at the burning I'd caused. I'd left her lifeless.

When I'd finally composed myself I'd had nothing to say. I could only watch as Bella's battered and drained body had been scooped off the ground and raced away from me. She'd had to be brought to a nearby hospital where Carlisle and Alice had made up the accident she'd been in that had caused such excessive blood loss. I didn't even know what the story was, I'd tuned out, ashamed.

"Do you ever think before you act?" Emmett snapped as he passed me again. I ignored him. What exactly was he expecting me to say? 'Of course I did, Em, I decided that I was going to drain the shit out of her until there was nothing left'?

I couldn't even be relieved that all the venom was out. I wasn't sure there was anything left in her any more. Perhaps I should have let the transition happen? But at the time it wasn't my call to make. I wondered why Alice had been so keen to preserve Bella's humanity when she'd been on at me all along about how she would become a vampire one day. Perhaps she'd seen something knew, something that meant Bella wasn't always going to be in my life after all. That worried me, not that I deserved to be in her life anymore anyway. I could hardly expect her to wake up and forgive me if I was never going to be able to forgive myself.

"That dog Jacob is going to love this. You've basically just pushed her back into his arms you jackass." Emmett groaned as he passed yet again. I continued to ignore him and his stupid comments. His track record for drinking the blood of the sweetest humans he'd ever smelt wasn't exactly pristine, although this was a bit different. This sweet human was my girlfriend and my reason for living, and I'd just gone and bled her dry.

I had no idea how I was going to approach this when Bella woke up. Carlisle had assured me that after many blood transfusions she was going to be just fine, not 100% for a few days, but relatively back to normal. I pinched the bridge of my nose and groaned.

"Finally realised what a prick you are?" Emmett snorted, glancing over his shoulder as he walked away.

"What do you want me to say, Emmett?" I snapped at him, although it was more of a snarl. I felt my lips curve up over my teeth.

"Don't you think you've attacked enough people today?" He raised one eyebrow, taking in my warning stance. I drummed my hands on my lap to distract me from pouncing on him.

"You're going to have a shit load of making up to do you know." He said matter of factly. "If she'll have you back of course."

I couldn't bear thinking about Bella deciding she didn't want me any more. What would my life be without her by my side? The last time a situation like this had happened I'd left Bella, afraid that my life was too dangerous for her. I should have been doing the same now, but all I could think about was grovelling for her forgiveness. I needed to know that we could move past this. I'd do anything, I knew that for sure.

Alice suddenly appeared on the corridor with Carlisle at her side. Their expressions were pained somewhat. I noticed that Alice was the alphabet backwards, clearly masking whatever she had been thinking about. I felt my eyes widen with panic and stood up from my seat.

"Carlisle? Alice?" I said quickly, looking between the two of them.

"Bella's going to be fine, Edward. Just sit down and relax." Carlisle assured me, raising his hands.

"But?" I prompted, now focusing only on Alice.

"What?" She snapped at me. I narrowed my eyes. "Get out of my head, Edward."

I felt a low rumble in my chest and collapsed back into the chair I'd just risen out of. "I know I deserve to be hated, but please don't be like this, not right now."

"Nobody hates you, Edward." Carlisle sighed, but he didn't make eye contact with me.

"I do." Emmett muttered.

"Be reasonable, Emmett, we all know how hard it is to resist human blood once you've tasted it. Bella's blood is more potent to Edward remember?" Carlisle tried to reason with him.

"Imagine what would have happened if you'd killed her? What the hell would we have said to her parents? You'd also become miserable and damn us to an eternity of your depression." He grumbled at me.

"At least Bella is ok physically." Alice squeaked, disappearing from sight. Physically? What was that supposed to mean - I'd emotionally harmed her? In all fairness I probably had. I groaned again.

"When can I speak to Bella?" I asked with pleading eyes. I'd never felt so helpless. Wasn't I supposed to be a stone cold vampire?

"When the Dr says so." Carlisle said. "I'm sure it won't be long."

"She hasn't been allowed visitors for days!" I protested.

"She needed to rest, Edward!" He frowned at me. "She's had a major accident." Didn't I know it.

"Has anyone said anything to Charlie? Does he even know that she's in Australia?" Emmett said suddenly.

"I think Billy was sorting it, god knows how." I sighed, burying my face in my hands. "I'm surprised he never showed up on our doorstep."

"Something to do with an impromptu survival camp with the children on the reservation, very last minute and no phones allowed." Carlisle explained.

"Cos that's believable." Emmett snorted and rolled his eyes. I heard him mutter something about humans being too gullible.

"I'll get Esme to call Billy." Carlisle muttered, disappearing from sight. At times like this it was probably a good job that Carlisle had fixed Jacob up and therefore had put him in Billy's good books. He wouldn't have taken Esme's call otherwise.

"You know, Rosalie started going nuts when she found out about this." Emmett said, reminding me that we were alone again and also about the big mistake I'd made.

"Doesn't surprise me." I mumbled, disinterested.

"Reckons she knew this would happen all along." He spoke again.

"Thank you for your kind words, Emmettn but that's quite enough for now." I folded my arms across my chest wishing someone would just let me in to see Bella.

"Just reminding you of your screw up." He smirked.

"I noticed, but don't you think I already feel bad enough as it is without you sticking your big head in?" He raised his eyebrows but didn't look at all bothered by my words.

"I'm just preparing you for the consequences of this, bro."

"Whatever, Emmett." I retorted and he didn't respond.

I spent another three hours in his torturous company, neither of us saying a word. Emmett continued to pace the corridor meanwhile I remained seated, frozen like a statue and not bothering to look human. I almost leapt from my seat when a doctor approached us.

"Are you here for Isabella Swan?" She asked, looking between Emmett and I, confused.

"Bella." Emmett corrected. Her face slipped into more confusion.

"Can I see her?" The words fell out of my mouth.

"Yes, she can have visitors now. Don't wear her out too much. The sooner she's better the sooner she can return to America." The accent was a thick Australian drawl. The doctor turned on her heel and led me to Bella's room. Thankfully Emmett remained where he was.

As I placed my hand on the door handle to enter the room I realised how nervous I was. This could be make or break time for our relationship. Bella was usually very forgiving of my nature, I just hoped this was still the case.

I closed the door silently behind me and flitted to the end of her bed, taking in her pale body. She looked thin and fragile.

"Bella?" I asked quietly, gripping the end of her bed. My eyes flashed to the blood bag hanging beside her. I almost smiled at the realisation that it wasn't affecting me, the recent events seemed to have scared that need out my system.

Bella shifted slightly under the covers but didn't acknowledge my presence. I opened my mouth to repeat myself but she cut me off. "I thought you were going to kill me." It felt like someone had just ripped a hole in my stomach.

"Bella, I don't even know where to begin. I am so sorry." I was too afraid to move closer in case I terrified her even more.

"I know." She said simply. Something felt very wrong.

"Bella, can you forgive me?" I almost whispered, but still loud enough for her to hear. I was ashamed. There was silence for a while.

"Edward, I know you're a vampire and I know it's in your nature to drink human blood, no matter how long you stick to you vegetarian diet," she began, a bitter edge to her voice. "And I know that usually you're in control and that having to drink human blood won't have helped the situation, but I genuinely believed you loved me enough not to do what just happened."

I didn't know what to say. She was completely and utterly right. I should have been able to stop, I'd done it once before when I'd had less control. "I don't know what to say, Bella. Please just know how sorry I am and how much I love you. I can't thank you enough for healing me and I'm sorry that this was how I repaid you."

"Edward, I do forgive you." I heaved a huge sigh of relief. "But the thing is..." she paused. Why wouldn't she just look at me?

"What is it, Bella?" Perhaps this moment was what Alice had seen coming before she'd scarpered.

"I'm afraid of you."

I recalled all the times I'd told Bella that she should be afraid of me and my family, but I didn't want her to be afraid anymore. Her words stung like a slap round the face. I opened my mouth to speak but had nothing to say. She spoke again.

"I accept you for who you are, Edward, but the vampire that drank my blood out there, that wasn't you. I'm afraid of that you." She mumbled, followed by a sniff. Was she crying?

"I can get back under control, I'm practically back to normal now, it'll never happen again." I promised.

"I know." She sighed. "But I can't get that image out of my head, your eyes before you did it, and the way it felt knowing there was nothing I could do, that I couldn't even rely on you to rescue me because it was you in the first place." This was agony. Bella took a deep breath and turned to face me with wide, teary eyes. "Edward, I think you should leave now. I need some...space."

"Whatever you want." I whispered.

"I'll return home with you but then I think we need time apart. I need to think about this properly." Her voice wobbled towards the end.

"I'll see you soon then, Bella. Sorry again." I turned for the door, my face like stone.

"Oh and Edward?" Bella said quickly. I turned around, hopeful. "Please tell Alice I'd like to see her." Not me though.

"Sure."

I closed the door behind me, a little harder than necessary.


	20. My Best Friends

*Bella's POV*

As Edward closed the door behind him I burst into tears. I felt so cruel. I knew it hadn't really been his fault and that I was supposed to love him for who/what he was, but truthfully he _had _scared me. A lot. I just couldn't shake that image from my mind.

I couldn't even look at him when he'd come into the room, too afraid that when I saw his face I'd only be able to picture that terrifying moment when I'd thought I was going to lose my life. Of course I loved him, that was always going to be a given, my feelings now had nothing to do with my relationship with Edward, instead they revolved around a fear that I would have to overcome with time. It was a good job he couldn't read my mind or else my current thoughts would be destroying him.

Out the corner of my eye I saw a blood bag hanging off a pole beside my bed. I smiled in recognition of Edward's self control while he'd been in here with me, but the reminder of why I was in here in the first place left me shaking violently. I grasped the bed sheets and took a deep breath.

"Are you ok, Bella?" I gasped as I looked up to see Alice standing warily by the door. I hadn't even heard her come in. She eyed me up and down, her eyes flickering to the blood bag and then back to my face quickly. I bit my lip. "Besides the injuries I mean."

I knew Alice would understand. She'd no doubt already seen my conversation with Edward and therefore was fully updated. "Help me, Alice," I mumbled pathetically. "I don't know how to get through this." Her face was blank as if she was searching for something in her mind. I noticed how she remained by the door. "You can come closer you know? I trust _you_ not to bite me." I managed to squeeze out a fake laugh.

"You know he didn't mean to." She said in a quiet voice, reluctantly joining me beside the bed. "As much as I am furious for what he has done when he should have been more careful, I know how difficult it must have been."

"I know." I breathed and she patted my hand sympathetically.

"Jasper is finding it hard too." She sighed, her eyes absent. I wondered what she was seeing, perhaps Jasper raiding the hospital of blood bags...or patients, but her lips twitched into a small smile. "He'll get there though, so will Edward and so will you."

I could feel her eyes on my face as I stared at my hands resting on my stomach. I wanted to believe that we would get through it but right now I wasn't so sure. Edward and I would have two separate issues to deal with before we would get there.

"You believe that too right?" Alice asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. Perhaps she was searching for my decision.

"Sure." I mumbled, biting my lip. I felt myself begin to cry.

"Bella?" Alice frowned and then sighed. "I promise that it'll be ok. I've seen it! To begin with I wasn't so sure, I don't think you were sure either, you didn't make a decision for a while. But I've seen the outcome of this Bella and it will be ok, you and Edward are stronger than you think."

I lifted my tear drenched eyes to look at Alice's face. Her smile was kind and understanding and despite her being physically cold, the warmth of her words radiated through me. Edward was no doubt nearby, eavesdropping on the conversation through Alice's thoughts. I hoped that her words were making him feel equally as confident.

"Thanks, Alice." I squeezed her hand gratefully. "What happened to Sam?"

"He's fine, Bella. He'll be flying home with us. He's not at all happy and mainly ignoring us but other than that he's fine." I was confused when she produced a mobile phone and slipped it into my hand. "Jacob has been pestering me," she rolled her eyes. "You should probably let him know you're alive."

"Does he know anything?" I whispered, afraid for anyone to hear or for myself to be reminded.

"He knows what Edward did if that's what you're asking." She replied simply.

Great. This was not a phone call that I was looking forward to. At all.

"Right, ok." Alice kissed my forehead and disappeared from the room.

For a while I just stared at the phone, unsure whether making this phone call was actually a good idea or not. I could only imagine Jacob's response and yet I knew it would be so much worse when I was actually hearing it for myself. Hesitantly I dialled the last called number and pressed the phone to my ear, taking a deep breath. He answered on the first ring.

"Is she awake?" The words rushed through the speaker.

"Jacob it's me." I was surprised at how pleased I was to hear his voice.

"Are you still human?" He asked abruptly. I couldn't help but snigger.

"Only just!" I grimaced and heard him growl at the other end.

"I told you all along that he was no good for you, Bella."

"Not now, Jake." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "How's my dad? Does he want to ground me yet?"

"No hold on," Jacob snapped. "Are you trying to tell me you've forgiven him?"

"Of course I've forgiven him, Jacob, it really wasn't his fault. It's in his nature."

"Which is why this is even more messed up!" He exclaimed desperately. "Is a near death experience at the hands of him even not going to show you how wrong he is for you?"

"Jacob, seriously, now is not the time for another round of 'Pick Me, I'm Better For You Than Edward Cullen'. Can't we just talk?" I felt myself getting grumpy which I really didn't have the energy for.

"Fine." He snapped. "What do you want to know?"

"Well how's my dad?" Jacob and I couldn't stay mad at one another for long. Our friendship was such an easy thing, there were no complications or bumps anywhere. It pained me to remember that I loved him too, even if I had chosen Edward.

"He's fine. Dad has it all under control, although I think Esme is helping a bit. He's not expecting you home until next week."

"Well that's good. Where is it that I'm supposed to be?" I chuckled.

"Don't ask me, I haven't got a clue. Something to do with an survival camp?" He said it like a question and I couldn't help but laugh some more. Jacob always made me feel better. Even when I'd been drained of blood by the vampire I loved.

"Me on a survival camp?" I raised my eyebrows. "Wow."

"I know right?" I could hear the cheek in Jacob's voice but then he became more serious. "Are you ok, Bells?"

I felt my face crumple. "I don't know, Jake, I really don't know."

"It's pretty serious. I bet he's shitting himself, how I'd love to witness that." I didn't respond so he continued. "Are you going to work through it?"

"I hope so," I replied tearfully. "I forgive him for what he did but I'm scared of him, Jake. All I can picture is the vampire that attacked me, I can't picture Edward anymore."

"That was Edward." Jacob sighed.

"I know but that's not what I meant." I scrubbed my eyes with the back of my free hand.

"I know." He said quietly, but I'm not sure he did.

"I just don't know how easily I'll get through the fear. The last time something kind of like this happened Edward took off and left me, now I'm the one potentially deserting him."

"So? It's the least he deserves for what he did to you, Bella. I swear, if I was there-"

"Jacob stop it. Now really isn't the time." I groaned.

"Well I'll be waiting for when he gets back." Hopefully Jake was all talk. I yawned hugely, surprising myself. "I should let you rest, Bella."

"Sure sure." I mumbled, getting comfy in the bed.

"I'll see you when you're back, Bells. I love you."

"Bye, Jake, see you soon." The words came out like mush. I hung up the phone and placed it on the table beside me.

Then I closed my eyes and slipped into sleep.


	21. Feelings

I'd never been more excited to be told that I could leave the hospital and return to Forks. Alice had appeared in my room before I'd heard the news myself to help me get dressed and gather my things. There had been no sign of Edward, he was sticking to our conversation and giving me space. I felt guilty for his absence as I knew he would have liked nothing more than to be able to help me, but at the same time I felt better knowing that I didn't have to see his face. Of course in some ways that made me feel like a terrible person.

We were meeting the others at the airport as they'd spent the last few days with Apari's coven. Edward had been on a strict diet of wildlife while Carlisle had been engrossed in Coorah and Ellin's work. Emmett and Sam had been arguing now that Sam had dropped the cold shoulder. There was always some form of drama.

"Ready to go home?" Alice asked as she laced up my shoes. I felt like a child.

"I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed!" I laughed, sliding myself off the bed. Alice steadied me and took a step back.

"What about in terms of everything else?" She asked quietly. I tried not to think about it too much in front of Alice as I knew any decisions I made regarding my thoughts and feelings would just be seen by both her and Edward. I wasn't ready to broadcast a decision yet.

"I couldn't tell you," I sighed. "I'm not sure my cooking will be up to Charlie's standards now that I've been away from an oven in so long!"

Alice rolled her eyes. "You know that's not what I meant."

"I know, Alice, but I don't know what you want me to say. I still feel the same as I did before." Not true, I felt worse. I was dreading seeing Jasper again.

"I guess I'll just have to wait for your decision." She sighed, taking my hand and pulling me gently out of the room. In a matter of seconds Alice had me in her arms and then in the passenger seat of a car. I couldn't be bothered to ask if she'd stolen it or not.

The car journey to the airport was a quiet one. I knew Alice was searching in her thoughts for my decision, but I wasn't even thinking about it. I couldn't. I was too busy deciding how I was going to cope when I saw Edward again. I shuddered but Alice didn't notice, or at least if she did she didn't say anything. I gripped my legs for support, I didn't want to fall apart in front of her, I didn't want Edward to see it later, especially when I didn't particularly want him to comfort me. I felt like the cruelest person on the planet, which was probably true now that Mandu had been dealt with.

The turnoff for the airport approached and I felt my breathing become more erratic. Alice's hand closed over one of mine. "Bella, you're killing me here."

"Why?" I snapped. "Because you can't see my future with your family? Am I inconveniencing you? Sorry if I want to take time to decide for myself rather than have you dig out my decision so that you can tell everyone else." Alice's eyes widened slightly but she remained composed.

"I meant that I'm worried about you." I felt a pang of guilt as she swiftly removed her hand and stepped out of the car. I hadn't even noticed we'd arrived. My door suddenly opened.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled, unable to meet her eye.

"It's ok. I appreciate that this is a hard time for you." Her voice was firm which made me feel even worse. My legs began shuffling towards the entrance of the airport, Alice with one arm linked through mine.

"Bella!" Sam's voice said suddenly. I looked up to see he, Edward, Carlisle and Emmett waiting for us near the check in desk. "How are you?"

I detached myself from Alice, not missing the look shared between her and Edward, and went over to join Sam who as standing awkwardly with Emmett. "I'm better." I shrugged. "How are you? I'm sorry I left you behind."

"I'm fine, Bella. Have you spoken to Jacob? He was pretty angry when I spoke to him this morning." His eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, needless to say he wasn't pleased about recent events." I didn't want to go into detail, Sam no doubt knew everything anyway. Emmett coughed.

"Edward got you good didn't he, what a prick." I didn't want to remember what Edward had done but Emmett always managed to make me smile, similar to Jacob really. I could only respond with a small smile. I caught a glimpse of Edward in the corner of my vision, he was looking at the ground, a mask of guilt and pain painted across his features. Alice was holding his hand.

"Shall we check in?" Carlisle interrupted suddenly, his face blank. Everyone followed him to the check in desk and silently handed over their passports and tickets. I stared at my shiny new boarding pass numbly.

"Excuse me, Bella?" I was surprised to see Edward at my side, greeting me as though we were strangers. No one would have thought we were together.

"Hey, Edward. How have you been?" I didn't look at his face. I just stared at the backs of the people in front. I felt stupid asking a question that I probably didn't have the right to ask.

"I'm managing. I was going to ask if you would like to sit with someone else? Our seats are next to one another, I wasn't sure how you felt about being seated with me. I could swap with someone if you like? Alice or Emmett perhaps?" I felt terrible. I hated knowing I'd made him feel this way. I thought about his question.

I didn't really want to sit with Edward knowing that I was still working on a decision to do with his involvement in my life, but at the same time, I knew he wouldn't pry or force me to speak to him unlike Emmett or Sam perhaps.

"Of course we can sit together. You're my boyfriend, Edward." My voice cracked a little on the word 'boyfriend'. It was a loose term right now, kind of floating in the air along with the rest of my thoughts and decisions to be made.

"Am I though, Bella?" He said quietly. I made the mistake of looking at him then and for a moment I saw the pain scorching in his amber eyes, but seconds later it was replaced by the thirsty desire for my blood that I'd seen before he'd attacked. I looked away instantly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

"Give me time, Edward." I said simply. Focusing ahead again.

"Rejection!" I heard Emmett snort but Edward didn't respond.

The rest of my time in the airport was a blur. I didn't remember getting on the plane but I was suddenly seated in a window seat beside Edward in business class. He didn't say anything to me or look at me but I knew I'd hurt him. Why couldn't I just make a decision already? Angrily I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to sleep the journey away.

I was amazed when my body was being gently rattled by Edward to inform me that we'd reached the refuelling point. They'd let me sleep through all the offered meals, probably afraid of my reaction if I'd been awoken from my grumpy slumber. I blushed. Nobody spoke as we departed the plane, hung around Dubai for an hour and then re boarded. I slid back into my seat beside Edward and went back to sleep. I kept telling myself that I was nearly home, back to the safety of my father and room.

I dreamt that I was back in the rainforest, cowering behind the tree again. Edward's attack was only moments away, I braced myself and forced myself awake again, refusing to relive it yet again. I wasn't sure how much more I could take.

"Good timing." Edward whispered. "We're just landing."

I couldn't believe I'd slept through the whole thing. It was a stark contrast to the time I'd flown home from Italy and kept myself awake for the duration of the journey just so that I could be with Edward. Oh how things had changed.

The plane came to a shuddering stop and we piled off, unsurprised to see the rest of the Cullens and the wolf pack waiting for us in the airport, attracting the looks of everyone around them. Jacob was focused intently on Edward, I saw Jasper glare at him.

"Don't be difficult, Jacob." Sam cautioned once we'd reached them. Jacob's eyes flashed to me and then to Edward.

"You are so lucky he's the alpha." Jacob snarled, pointing a finger in his face. Then he turned to me, running his thumb over my bottom lip where two small cold scars now sat on my lips. I repressed the memory. "Are you ok?" He crushed me too him as I held back the tears. I just nodded.

Once he'd released me to speak with Sam and the others, Esme found me. Hesitantly she wrapped an arm around my shoulders and tucked a strand of hair behind my ears. "I'm so sorry, Bella, I can't even imagine how you're feeling. Please know that our family will give you all the time and space that you require." Esme was so motherly that I felt myself crumple into her and bury my face in her shirt. It was difficult to believe that she and Mandu, or even she and Edward, were the same species.

"I love you, Esme." I mumbled pathetically, tears rolling down my face. She look concerned as if I'd just said my goodbyes. Her eyes flashed to the faces of her family all staring at us blankly. Rosalie looked like she wanted to kill both Edward and I, whereas Alice, Carlisle and Emmett showed no emotion. Jasper looked like he was going to combust, although I couldn't be sure if it was because of airport tightly packed with humans or the flood of different emotions. Esme patted my arm and walked away. Someone else I'd hurt. But the more I thought of what I'd said the more I realised that maybe I was saying goodbye. Surely not after everything?

I decided to ride home with Jacob and Sam, but making sure that I sat in the back on my own. I didn't want Jacob so close either. When we eventually pulled up outside my house I said my goodbyes and ran up the steps, anticipating Charlie's questions.

"Hey, Bells!" He seemed calm. "How was camp?" Oh yes, camp, I forgot. His eyes narrowed in on my wounds and walking cast. "Oh, Bella, what now?"

I smiled sheepishly. "I'm fine, Dad, you know what I'm like, permanently falling over."

"I wish you'd be more careful though, you're a magnet for danger." If only he knew. "Where's Edward? I thought he'd be with you, Esme said he was dropping you home." I gulped.

"I rode with Jake. There was too many people for the Cullen's car." I babbled. Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"He here tonight? I was going to order pizza."

"No he's not, Dad. Just order for yourself, I'm not hungry."

"Oh, more pizza for me! Everything ok?" He scratched his head awkwardly. He was never one for these conversations.

"I'm just exhausted, I need to go to bed." I shrugged, making my way towards the stairs. "Night, Dad."

"Night, Bells!" He grabbed the phone to place his order.

I stripped down and flung myself in the shower the minute I got to the top of the stairs in order to wash away the traces of my terrible and traumatic time away. I ignored the walking cast bashing against the shower tray as I washed frantically, trying to put off the decision that I knew I was going to have to make.

When there was nothing left to wash I dried and changed into my pyjamas, slowly trudging into my bedroom as I towel dried my hair. What was I supposed to do? I'd already had the Edward vs. Jacob decision and I'd gone with Edward because I couldn't live without him, but now I couldn't be anywhere near him. I was terrified of him. This not only left me undecided about my boyfriend but my future too. I'd been dead set on being changed and being with Edward forever, he'd even proposed to me, but now what? I thought about my Mother and then my college acceptances, but Charlie's snoring cut me off. I'd lost track of time and he'd come up to bed. Sighing, I crawled into my own bed, ready to switch off my light when there was a polite knock on the window. I looked up surprised to see Edward hovering on my windowsill.

"May I come in?" He asked so that only I could hear. I wasn't sure what to say or how to feel, but he had been polite. I wondered what Alice had seen. I nodded and beckoned for him to come in. He swiftly opened the window and slipped in my room, making sure he stayed as far away from me as possible.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered, my heart racing.

"I just wanted to say something quickly if I may?" He shoved his hands in his pockets awkwardly.

"Sure, but I asked for you to give me time." I frowned. I'd never felt so aggravated by him before. It was all so worrying.

"I know and I apologise if my being here puts pressure on you. Bella, I just wanted to tell you once again how sorry I am for what I did to you. I am so ashamed that after everything I have done to protect you, I was the one to cause you so much pain. I'll never forgive myself for that day and I'll never expect you to properly forgive me either. I know you told me that you have forgiven me, but I can tell by the way you act around me that it goes much deeper than you let on. I need you to know that I know a decision from you is coming and that whatever you choose, I just want you to be happy for as long as you live." He gazed at me for a moment and I knew I was crying. I wanted to reach out to him and comfort him. I wanted to tell him I loved him but I couldn't. "Speak to you soon, Bella." He'd disappeared before I'd taken my next breath.

I stared at my window for what felt like forever. Edward was so perfect and yet I couldn't keep a hold of him. I cried myself to sleep that night.

The following night after Charlie had gone to sleep, my bedroom window was thrown open. Jacob flung himself into the middle of my room, his face hard. "Bella."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Where are your manners, Jacob?" I huffed.

"Oh quit your whining, woman!" He rolled his eyes. "How are you doing?"

I shrugged, my mind still lingering on Edward's visit from the night before. "I've been better."

"I hope you told that bloodsucker where to go?" He growled, waiting for my response.

"Stop pressuring me! I wish everyone would leave me alone!" Jacob looked taken back.

"Has he been bothering you?" Yes. No. Kind of. Not really.

"Not like you are now!" I snapped at him. Jacob sighed.

"Fine, more time it is!" He grumbled. "You know you should be with me instead."

"Jacob!" I half shouted, half whispered.

"What?!" He retorted.

"This is none of your business! Don't come back here until I've called you first." Pain crossed Jacob's face but he disappeared from my room obediently. I slammed my window shut and locked it.

As I tried to get off to sleep I thought about how this had probably all started with a warning from the Volturi about my human status. What was I supposed to do about that as well? I wasn't even sure I wanted to be a vampire any more, but I knew too much. I needed to just remove myself from this mythical mess of world I'd become caught up in.

Moments later, I'd made my decision.


	22. Goodbye

My phone rang. It was Alice, of course.

"Bella what are you playing at?" She squealed down the phone. I could hear the rest of them fussing and arguing in the background.

"Just please give me their address, Alice!" I pleaded.

"This is the most stupid idea I've ever heard." Her tone was disapproving.

"It's my life," I snapped into the phone. "I make the decisions. This will make me happy, Alice, I know you've seen it already."

"I won't let you..." she became muffled as if speaking away from the phone. "No, Edward! Don't tell me what to do, she's being ridiculous."

"Alice, give me the Volturi's address now." I grumbled. She growled at the other end.

"No." I squeezed the phone a little tighter, not sure how to express my fury without waking Charlie up.

"Why not, Alice? Is it because they agree with me?" I pressed.

"You're my best friend," she whined. "One of my sisters in fact, I don't want to let you go." I felt a stab of guilt. I did love her.

"I have to do what's right for me, Alice. You know I love you, but I can't do this any more." I heard her sigh and something break in the background. "Is that Edward?"

"He's struggling with your decision, I know he promised you that he'd accept whatever you decided, but this will kill him." she said frantically.

"_He _nearly killed _me_." I pointed out. "I'm making my decision as promised. I'll be round later to talk to you all, I need to speak to Jacob too." She didn't respond. "Alice, do they accept my proposal?"

"Yes." She replied hesitantly. "Aro is fascinated by the turn of events." Her voice had a bitter edge. "He's so curious about your mind blocking that he thinks you're too much of a waste to kill. He gives you a year before you change your mind though."

"So may I have the address please?" Begrudgingly she spat it out to me. I frantically scrawled it down, afraid to miss any at the speed she spoke. "See you later." She hung up.

There was no time to sleep, I had to put my plan into action. I wasn't going to be with Edward or Jacob. I wasn't going to be a vampire and I wasn't going to be amongst it all. I was going to remove myself from the situation as required. I was going to do what was best for me. I grabbed my pile of college acceptances, pulling out the one from the University of Florida and pinning it to my notice board. Then I switched on my computer, groaning at its elderly pace before beginning an email to my mother.

_Mum,_

_How have you been?_

_I have some news! I've decided to go to the University of Florida! Guess who is going to be in Jacksonville more often now?! My first semester starts in three weeks so I was wondering if I could maybe come and stay with you until then? Possibly fly out in a couple of days?_

_I'll call you tomorrow, _

_Love Bella xxx_

My mum was going to be elated, but I still had to break the news to Charlie, Jacob...and the Volturi. I decided to start with the Volturi, scrambling around my room for paper, an envelope and a pen. I hoped they wouldn't judge my scruffy handwriting. Never did I think they would ever be receiving a letter from myself. As I pressed the tip of the pen to the paper I took a deep breath. My decision was literally going to be in writing, I couldn't take anything back now.

_Dear Aro, Caius and Marcus,_

_You're probably aware of the recent events that have taken place within the Cullen coven, and therefore you probably know that I'm still human. _

_May I just clarify, I'm writing to you with a proposition, not an excuse. As a result of the recent events I have decided to remove myself from the situation that I have found myself in. I no longer wish to be with Edward as his partner, nor do I wish to be a vampire. My plans are to attend the University of Florida and therefore move away from both Forks and the Cullens. I appreciate that this is not the outcome that you would have liked due to my knowing too much, but I've had enough now, I don't belong in your world. I know you will keep an eye on me and I understand that, despite me promising that I will mention this to no one. I just want a fresh start. A fresh human start._

_I beg that you understand. _

_Kind regards,_

_Isabella Swan_

Now that I'd written it it did seem like an awfully long shot. Alice had promised me that they'd accept, but what if that was just because they knew Alice would be watching? I bit my lip. My plan felt like it was already coming undone but I had to see it through, I had to at least try.

I decided to give it a rest for the night and crawled under my duvet. Tomorrow I'd post the letter and speak to everyone. I'd book my flight to Jacksonville and organise my first semester college tuition fees. I'd say goodbye to Jacob and to...Edward. I shuddered. Life without Edward would take some adjusting to, even if I was petrified of him right now.

It only felt like moments later that light was flooding in through my window and my dad burst into my room. "Wake up young lady!" He snapped, shaking me gently. I rolled over groggily, rubbing my eyes.

"What is it, Dad?" His expression was worried and slightly confused. "Did Mum ring you?" of course she did.

"She sure did. You never told me that you were going to college in Florida, what happened to Alaska?" He narrowed his eyes.

"I just thought their science programme looked good," I think I'd used this excuse about the University of Alaska to my mum. "It would be a nice change of scenery and I'd be able to see mum more." Charlie looked hurt. "You know I love it here Dad, but I feel like a change."

"Is Edward going there?" He asked curiously.

"Nope." I sighed. Florida was far too sunny for Edward. "Edward and I are taking a break."

"Indefinitely?" I could see a smile playing on Charlie's lips.

"This isn't about Edward and I, Dad!" I protested. "You told me to choose for me, that's what I've done."

"Well if you're sure, Bella. You've changed you're mind awfully quickly. And you're leaving me this week?" He looked hurt again.

"I thought it would be nice to have a holiday with mum until the crazy school work begins." I shrugged. "I didn't think you'd mind."

"Of course I don't!" He said suddenly, patting my arm. "I'm just going to miss you, that's all."

"I'll miss you too, Dad." I smiled up at him.

"Jacob will really miss you."

"I know." I said sadly. "I'll go talk to him today."

"Alright, Bells, well we'll go through all this properly when I'm home tonight. See you later." He closed my door and left me pondering over my to do list for the day. I would book my flight and email my mum, then post my letter and tuition fees on the way to La Push and then see the the Cullens afterwards. Sorted. It was going to be a big day.

It took twice as long to book my flights than I'd originally planned because of my computer. When I'd finally completed all my computer related errands I felt as though I was running out of time to complete the rest. I made it into my truck in record time and began my journey to La Push, humming with anticipation the whole way. Surprisingly pushing my two letters into the post box made me feel sick. My decisions were going to be delivered.

Alice would no doubt be going wild at the Cullen house. All my decisions of the day were being sent to her like a live feed, there'd be nothing to tell by the time I got there later in the day. At least being with Jacob would hold them off for a while.

Jacob recognised the sound of my truck and appeared almost immediately after I arrived, his grin stretched from one side of his face to the other. I felt ashamed knowing how my news wouldn't leave him smiling once I'd left.

"So, what can I do for you?" He asked cheerfully, leading me into his old shed where he worked on his car. I hoped he didn't think I'd chosen him.

"Jake, I have something to tell you but I just need you to sit there and listen and not interrupt me until I'm finished please." His eyes narrowed.

"Ok, fine." He gestured for me to continue.

"I'm leaving in two days. I'm not going to be with Edward anymore and I'm not going to be a vampire. I'm going to spend a few weeks with my Mum in Jacksonville before I start at the University of Florida." Jacob's jaw dropped but he didn't interrupt. "I need out of this mess I'm in. I want to start again. I don't belong in all this mythological madness and I just can't cope anymore. I've even cleared it with the Volturi."

There was silence for a while.

"What about me?" Jacob said eventually. "What about us? Why didn't you just pick me?"

I sighed. "This isn't what this is about anymore, Jake. This is about my life, my future. I want to go to college like a normal teenage girl."

"But you could do that even if you were with me." His face crumpled slightly.

"Don't do this, Jacob. I've come here to say goodbye." He wouldn't meet my eyes so I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist. He didn't respond. "Jake?"

"What does Edward say about this?" He snapped at me, pushing me away. I noticed he was trembling.

"Calm down, Jake. I haven't told them yet, I'm heading there next although Alice probably knows it all already." I shrugged.

"I'm not listening to this!" Jacob shouted. "You're not leaving, he'll change your mind, or you'll change it yourself. Enough, Bella." I felt my eyes prick up with tears.

"Goodbye, Jacob. I'll stay in touch." I waited for a moment but he turned away from me, leaving me to make a tearful walk back to my truck. It hurt that Jacob wouldn't let me go, let me live my life the way I needed to. He just didn't understand, but then why would he? He was part of the mythological madness that I was stuck in.

I pulled away from his house, glimpsing in the mirrors in the hope that he might reappear and change his mind, but he didn't. Instead I focused on my next destination, the one that would be the hardest. There were so many more people to say goodbye to there and that one main person. I just had to remind myself not to be afraid.

The Cullen's house looked eerie for a change, as if it was representing their moods. I tried not to stare at it too much as I made my way up the drive way, trying to figure out what I was going to say. Perhaps Jasper would calm me down before I began. As I knocked on the door I realised that this was the last time I'd see them and be in this home. It felt as though my heart had dropped into my stomach. Carlisle answered the door immediately, his expression concerned.

"Good afternoon, Bella. Come on in, we're all ready for you." How embarrassing. I followed him into the unused dining room where the Cullens all sat around the table. None of them looked at me apart from Edward who leaned against the furthest wall with huge sad eyes.

"Hi." Was all I could manage and then I burst into tears. Esme had her arms around me in a flash. Edward remained rooted to the spot, his fingers twitching.

"Just take your time, Bella." She soothed. "Perhaps you could help, Jasper?" Jasper lookee up and a sudden feeling of calm radiated through me. Esme retook her seat.

"So, I have some stuff to say. You may have already heard it from Alice but I want you to hear it from me." They all nodded. "What happened in Australia was terrifying. I don't regret going and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving your lives. I owe you all so much, you've been so kind to me. I couldn't thank you enough for inviting me into your family despite everything." I felt myself crying again. Alice put her head in her hands and Edward broke the vase on the table beside him. "But after what happened I just can't do this anymore. I need a fresh start. I'm going to the University of Florida and as of a couple of days, I'm going to live with my mum until the first semester starts. I know that the Volturi will still be after me and as stupid and human as it sounds, I wrote to them and told them my plans. Alice has seen Aro's agreement, who knows, he might write back?" I thought I saw Emmett's lips twitch into an amused smile. "Just please understand why I am doing this. I know it's harder for you to move on and forget, but I have to leave. Know that I'll miss you all so much."

Rosalie flounced from the table. "Stupid human." She disappeared without so much a goodbye but I wouldn't have expected anything different.

Emmett steamed towards me, pulling me up into the biggest bear hug. "I'll miss you for sure. Look after yourself, Bella." He followed after Rosalie.

I turned to look at the others. If vampires could cry I guessed that's what Esme and Alice's expressions were showing me right now. "Oh, Bella, I'll miss you and the joy you brought to Edward. I hope that one day we'll see you again." Esme whispered emotionally, hugging me gently.

"It's been a pleasure knowing you, Bella. I'm sure Charlie will keep us informed of how you're doing. Enjoy yourself but remember that if you ever need us, you know where we are." I felt the tears rolling hot down my cheeks. I felt horrible.

"Thanks for everything, Carlisle." I squeezed his hand as he led Esme away.

"Are you sure about this?" Jasper frowned at me. "Would the Volturi really be so willing?"

"I've seen it." Alice whispered sadly. She turned to face me. "But you're my best friend." I threw myself at her then, burying my face in her shoulder.

"I'll miss you so much, Alice." She squeezed me tightly for a moment.

"I'll be keeping tabs on you, Bella, it's the least you can allow me to do." I rolled my eyes as she released me and I reluctantly agreed.

"It's a shame." Jasper sighed. "I really like you."

"You too, Jasper." I gave him a watery smile, unable to watch as he and Alice left the room.

Then it was just Edward and I. I felt my heart race at the thought of being alone with my attacker, but I fought it and managed to look him in the eye.

"I don't know what to say." Edward sighed.

"Me either." I admitted.

"I'll always love you, Isabella Swan." He closed the gap between us and kissed my hair. I allowed myself to snuggle into him, inhaling his scent for the last time.

"I love you, Edward." And I really did mean it.

"I don't know how I'm going to cope without you. My life will be meaningless."

"Just don't go running to the Volturi, you never know how things will pan out in the future."

"What do you mean?" He asked quickly. "Are you coming back?"

"Who knows?" I shrugged. "I just know that I need time alone to be a normal human teenager. It'll do me good."

"I won't kill myself anytime soon then." He smiled.

"Not funny, Edward. This is serious." Even now I hated the thought of him dying or in pain.

"I'm still so sorry." He choked slightly at the end and I realised it was the most human I'd ever seen him act.

"Edward, I honestly do forgive you. It was just a wake up call, once upon a time this is what you would have wanted."

"Not anymore." He disagreed sadly. A lot had happened and changed since we'd got together. It had been one hell of a ride.

I took a deep breath. "I have to go. Be good. I love you."

"You too, my Bella. I'll love you forever." I broke free from him and ran to my truck, sobs ripping from my chest.

I didn't look back.

[NOTE: This isn't the end]


	23. Aro

3 MONTHS LATER

Florida

College had turned out to be everything I'd expected and everything I didn't want it to be. My work was always completed on time if not earlier because I didn't sleep. I didn't sleep because Jacob refused to contact me and because I couldn't stop thinking about Edward. It didn't help that I felt like I was permanently being watched, which I almost definitely was. The Volturi were never going to be that easygoing despite their willingness to let me live my life.

Being entirely dependant on myself was just like living with my mother again, but I missed cooking and cleaning for Charlie. I missed my Dad. Somehow I even missed my drizzly hometown of Forks, relentless heat and sun had lost its charm. I spoke to Charlie every day, usually at dinner time so I could instruct him with how to prepare a meal. Occasionally he'd tell me if he'd seen the Cullens and how they were. I knew he'd see Carlisle now and then because of his public job, but the Cullen 'kids' were all supposed to be in college. I never got updates on Edward.

I'd exchanged one email with Alice a week after my arrival. I probably shouldn't have as I'd promised the Volturi I wanted out of my association with their world, but I couldn't resist. She didn't say much, only that she and her siblings were going to stay with Tanya and her sisters, and that Rosalie and Emmett were thinking of travelling. She didn't mention Edward specifically, perhaps to spare me the guilt lf whatever he was doing with his time. I didn't email her back.

Jacob was another matter entirely. He wouldn't accept phone calls from me. Once he'd finally realised I was leaving he'd gone round and shouted at Charlie, claiming he'd done a bad job at parenting and shouldn't have let me go. I'd been furious, but it hadn't made any difference because he was too busy ignoring me to know my reaction. I wondered if we'd ever speak again.

There was a gentle knock on my accommodation door and the face of my only friend, Eliza, appeared in my doorway. "Still up?" She observed. It was only midnight, this was still early for me.

"Couldn't sleep," I sighed and then gestured to the pile of paper in front of me. "Thought I'd make a start on an assignment."

"Exciting life!" She smirked and sat down on my bed. I saw her looking at the photo frames on my bedside table. She picked up the one of Charlie and I, taking on my dreadful birthday a year or so ago. "Is this your dad?"

"Yep, that's Charlie." I wasn't really sure what Eliza wanted, but I appreciated her company. I didn't have any other friends, making them here hadn't been as easy as it was in Forks. I saw her fiddling with the frame.

"You've tucked something in the back here," she raised an eyebrow at me and revealed the photo that I shouldn't have kept. "Who is that!?" She squealed. "He is gorgeous!"

I felt the colour rush to my cheeks as I struggled to find a term that defined what Edward was. "That's my ex boyfriend." Eliza gasped.

"You let him go?! You're mad! He's like a god!" I was amazed that she wasn't drooling.

"It was complicated," I shrugged. "It had to be done."

"You obviously still love and miss him if you kept this photo though." She stated, not taking her eyes off Edward. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. I did both love and miss him, but which member of the Volturi could be observing this very conversation? I wouldn't have put it past them to put cameras in my room.

"I can't talk about it." I said numbly. Which was true.

"Oh, it didn't end on good terms then?" She began tucking the photo back into the back of the frame.

"Something like that." Which wasn't true. Edward and I had ended on good terms despite the cause of it all, which made it so much harder. My love for him was still very much alive and kicking. "Do you have a boyfriend?" I asked, deflecting the subject from myself.

"Not any more," Eliza sighed. "We broke up because the distance was too much. I'm from Canada you know?" I wish my break up had been something simple like that.

"I didn't know." I shrugged, turning back to my assignment. "I'd have thought love would conquer all." I was such a hypocrite. I hadn't cared that Edward was a vampire because I loved him. Surely I shouldn't have cared that he attacked me because I loved him too?

"You'd have thought so. Maybe it wasn't really love." Eliza was quiet for a moment and then slid off my bed. "But anyway!" Her voice was slightly higher and more elated now. "There's a party tomorrow at the accommodation across the road, do you wanna go with me? I'll meet you out front at 7?"

"Sure." I didn't have anything else to do. Eliza grinned and stuck her thumbs up.

"See you tomorrow!" She disappeared from my room, still grinning, and I was alone again.

I didn't have the energy to continue with my assignment but I wasn't tired enough to sleep. There was no point in trying anyway. Instead I decided to go for a walk, anything to clear my head of its messy contents.

As I pushed the double doors open I wasn't surprised to be greeted by the heat. It was only subtle at this time of night but it was there, a stark contrast to the town I had left behind. Edward could never have lived here and although it shouldn't have, it made me sad. I wasn't even supposed to be thinking about him.

I took a path through a nearby park, my feet tripping as I went. I wasn't sure how long I was going to last here before I had to return home to Forks. Edward's face in my dreams didn't frighten me anymore, it was just the beautiful face of the vampire I knew I loved. I couldn't help feeling as though I'd chucked a good thing away. I wondered if Alice was still watching. As I continued to think, a horribly familiar face came out of the shadows, the pale skin like a light in the dark.

"Isabella." It took me a moment to remind my own name let alone his.

"Aro?" I whimpered. I knew they'd be keeping tabs on me but I didn't realise they would visit. "What are you doing here?"

"I decided to visit." He smiled, his eyes a vivid scarlet.

"Oh." Was all I could manage. Surely if he'd _decided _Alice would have seen it and at least warned me? Perhaps he hadn't decided it after all.

"Well actually, I was visiting a coven nearby, they've not quite been subtle enough with their tracks so we had to deal with them. It's left me in a rather bad mood to be honest, so I decided to visit." he smiled at me again, curdling my stomach.

"Oh right." I couldn't really think of anything else suitable to say. "Well how can I help you?"

He shrugged. "I have to say you've certainly kept your part of deal well, I'm quite surprised truthfully."

"You are?" Whatever he wanted I just had to keep him talking.

"I've never seen a relationship as intense as yours and Edward's. Marcus certainly didn't believe you would follow through with your promise."

"Well as you can see, I have." I could hear bravery in my words and decided to act on it. "Of course none of this would have happened if I hadn't had to save their lives from your little stunt."

Aro chuckled. "I make the rules, Bella, if they are not followed then there are consequences."

"We told you that a date had been set." I reminded.

"That is true. I suppose you could say we've been bored." He was sick.

"Good job they had me then!"

"Not any more." His voice was firm but with a smug edge.

"So why are you here, Aro? Bored?" I should have known this would happen. Why had I honestly believed that I could rely on them to understand and leave me out of it. Why wasn't Alice seeing this? Was Aro really that spontaneous?

He chuckled darkly. "Anyone would think you possessed physic powers, Isabella." So there was my confirmation. "How is life without Edward and his family? They took you under their wing didn't they? I expect they were sad to see you go." And now came the guilt tripping.

"Fine thanks," I couldn't let the cracks show. "Difficult in the beginning but I know I'm better off now. This life is healthier for me."

"And yet I don't believe you." Aro sighed, cocking his head to one side. "It's awfully inconvenient that I can't see your thoughts right now."

"I'm sure," I pursed my lips. "But I clearly am coping. I've been here for 3 months."

"It's only a matter of time before you return to Forks though, Bella. Your love for Edward is much stronger than you think. I've been watching the Cullens too, you know?"

"I guessed that you would be." I shrugged, staring at my feet.

"Always out and about, apart from my dear friend Carlisle and his wife of course, they've certainly emersed themselves in a human lifestyle. We never see much of Edward in Forks." he smiled at me again, taunting me somewhat. I wasn't sure what sort of reaction he was hoping for but he certainly had me on edge. "Not to mention your dreams and your nightmares. You call out for him even in your sleep, but of course he never comes running because you told him not to."

"What do you actually want, Aro?" I muttered, my voice shaky. I couldn't believe they'd been watching me sleep, perhaps they had installed cameras in my room after all.

"In a nutshell you are going to return to Edward eventually, I don't need Alice to tell me that. You're going to once again become submerged in our world because you just can't help yourself, it's a part of your life now too. We always knew that."

"So why didn't you say something when I sent you the letter? Before I left Forks?" I was angry now but scared also.

"I was just intrigued to see how you'd do. Your relationship with Edward is one my brothers and I very rarely see."

"We're not an exhibit!" I snapped at him.

"Now now!" His smile was a grin now, carved across his stone face. "Surely you didn't think we'd be so stupid to think that the end of your human involvement in our world would be your own decision of just simply walking out of it?"

I had been the stupid one clearly. Aro took a step towards me, his teeth sparkling now in the moonlight. I thought carefully about his words 'end of your human involvement in our world'.

Before I had a chance to react he quickly sank his teeth into my neck and pulled away.

"Until we meet again, Isabella." And then he was gone.

The burning came quickly but this time there was no Alice or Edward to suck the venom out. I shrieked once and pulled my sweatshirt off, shoving it into my mouth in the hope that my screams would be muffled. There was no way I'd make it back to my room so I pulled myself under a bush instead, tears running frantically down my face. After everything that had happened recently I couldn't believe that this was happening now. I'd decided not to be a vampire and I'd made everyone quite clear of it too. Now I didn't have the support and guidance of the vampires I loved. Jacob certainly was never going to forgive me now.

I shut my eyes and burned.


	24. Fire

When the pain finally stopped I realised that I was moments away from opening my eyes to a whole new world. It already sounded like every person in the world was shouting in my ears, their words sharp and clear. I was terrified of going out there and facing it alone without anyone to tell me what to do, some sort of instructions for my new body would have been nice. I imagined this is what it would have been like for Carlisle.

I wiggled my fingertips, surprised at how quickly and fluidly they responded to my brain, and lifted my hand to place it over my heart. It wasn't beating. It had stopped. I was dead. I felt like I was going to burst into tears, I wanted to, but I knew it was impossible. Aro was long gone but I was still petrified. What if I couldn't control myself?

I opened my eyes and waited for the thirst to come, distracted by the sharpness of my sight. I could see _everything_. But the hot thirst didn't come, perhaps a niggling in the back of my throat but not the red hot iron that I'd been promised. Was I really a vampire or not?

I rolled onto my front and frowned at the situation in front of me. I was still under a bush but it was daylight outside now and the sun was typically blaring down from above. Basically, I was stuck here until the sun went in. I didn't want people thinking I was modelling for Swarovski. I remembered how beautiful Edward had looked in the sunlight and the way the rays had reflected off his skin, could I possibly be that beautiful now? As Edward's name passed through my thoughts so did my feelings for him. Everything was intensified in this life and now I felt like I loved Edward more than I ever thought capable. I couldn't help thinking I'd made a terrible mistake leaving him and my home behind me. There was no way I could return though, after everything I'd said to the Cullens about not wanting to be immortal, I'd just look like a huge hypocrite.

But I did wish Edward was here to guide me. I was already feeling quite miserable. Jacob really would never speak to me now, everything was ruined beyond repair and there was quite literally nothing I could do about it. I was stuck. I took a deep breath, the burn more noticeable now. I was really stuck like this, in a life that I didn't really want.

I ended up lying face down in the dirt, waiting patiently for hours until the sun disappeared. This was not the start to immortality that I had imagined when I'd wanted it so badly. Back then Edward had always been by my side in my visions, the two of us revelling in the fact that we were going to be together forever.

But Edward wasn't in my life at all now.

As the sky became darker I decided that now was the time to make my exit. I wasn't sure where I was planning on heading, I just let my body take me. I walked until I could smell bonfire and something else, something that made my throat dry. Bodies. Pulsing human bodies full of blood.

As I entered a clearing I realised I was crashing a party. A group of people sat drinking, smoking and singing around the tangled flames. My feet had followed my instincts. But I wasn't interested in the people, I was interested in the fire. Something about it invited me in, made me feel safe.

"Come to join the party?" A guy asked looking up.

"Sure." I didn't recognise my voice, it sounded more like a bell.

"What's up with your eyes?" Someone else asked. "Do you use those creepy contacts?" I couldn't take my eyes off the fire.

"Sure." I said again.

"Want a drink?" If only they knew what I really wanted to drink.

I stared into the fire, watching as the flames beckoned me forward, promising to engulf me. It was my way out. The Cullens had always said that fire was the only way to kill a vampire.

"What are you doing?" One of the girls shouted at me. I realised my feet were metres away from the flames now. I was vaguely aware of the sparks colliding with my skin but it didn't hurt. It was almost soothing.

"Are you crazy? You're going to hurt yourself!" Another panic stricken voice warned. I didn't want to hurt myself, I wanted to end myself.

As I took my last step something collided with me, sending me flying from where I had been standing. Knocking us both from sight of the party.

"Don't you dare, Bella." I was so angry for being interrupted that I threw whoever it was off me, slipping into a defensive crouch instinctively. I hadn't even realised who the voice belonged to. "Just calm down, try not to breathe if you can help it."

"Edward?" My voice wobbled a bit and I felt like I was going to cry again. He looked even more glorious than he had before; I could see every bronze tint in his tousled hair and the perfect shapes of his lips and his jaw. I relaxed my position and threw myself at him, sending him flying this time. "Oops."

"Bella what were you doing?" He snapped at me, pulling my chin up so I was looking at him. I noticed how he winced when he saw my eyes. Maybe he didn't like me this way, but right now I couldn't think of anything other than loving him and being with him forever. He was my reason to justify what I had become.

"I love you." I said earnestly, gripping at his shirt. I heard the materal creak.

"So why were you about to take yourself away from me once again?" He questioned.

"I couldn't cope with the realisation that this happened. I didn't want this, Edward."

"You _didn't_? What changed?" His face crumpled in confusion. "You made it quite clear that this life wasn't for you before you left."

"You did. I never stopped loving you, Edward, I can't imagine life without you now. In this body, love really does conquer all." Edward smiled my favourite crooked smile but his eyes became instantly serious.

"I'm so sorry this was forced upon you with no one to help. Alice didn't even see Aro's decision to visit you, let alone this. The last thing she saw was you crawling under a bush." He grimaced. "It was horrible for me to see in her thoughts, I don't know what else to say other than sorry."

"This isn't your fault, Edward. I should never have left, I can't believe I honestly thought my plan would work."

"You were trying to protect your humanity, I'm just sorry it didn't work out." he held my face in his hands and I realised we were the same temperature now.

"I can't believe I'm a vampire." I laughed, but I still wasn't sure if I was particularly happy about it.

"Hmm, well I can't believe Aro went through with turning you himself, he must have been feeling particularly unkind. Have you fed?" Edward asked me quietly. His eyes darted in the direction of the party. My throat burned slightly.

"Nope, it didn't really seem important." I shrugged. Edward's eyes widened, only slightly but enough that I noticed. I wondered if I would have noticed if I'd been human.

"How are you not starving right now?" His voice was panicked. "And you just left those people back there unharmed?"

I smiled sheepishly. "I didn't feel that burning hunger you promised me. It's there of course, but I don't want to kill everyone. I think you exaggerated the stories you told me."

"Maybe this is just your gift," Edward wondered aloud. "Maybe you have extreme self control."

"How boring!" I groaned.

"I still can't read your mind." He sighed, staring into my eyes. "but I think you should hunt before we go back to Forks, you don't want to take any chances."

"We're going back to Forks?" My face crumpled in confusion. Edward rolled his eyes.

"Bella, you can't stay here. I'm so sorry but you can't." I stared at the floor as he continued. "I know Aro has uprooted your life without your consent but you can't finish college this time. You have the rest of your life to do it though."

"What about my parents?" I whispered. I hadn't even considered my mother and Charlie. How would I explain why I'd dropped out of college?

"We'll figure something out, I promise you. You have a whole new body to get used to."

"I'm sorry about everything that happened." I took his hand in mine as gently as I could manage. "I'll love you forever."

"I deserved it after what I did to you, but it's in the past now, and I too will love you forever." He pressed his forehead against mine but we didn't kiss. I wasn't sure how in control of that instinct I would be.

"Whatever will Jacob say, he already hates me enough." I groaned.

"It's none of his business." Edward murmured, leading me towards a badly parked car. The driver's door was wide open and the engine still on.

"You were in a hurry weren't you?" I smirked, sliding into the passenger's side.

"Bella, be reasonable. You were just about to remove yourself from my life permanently." His jaw was tight.

"Ok, I'm sorry." As he drove I couldn't believe how sharp and focused my eyes were despite the dark. It was as though it was still the day time. I could feel Edward's eyes studying my face. "What?"

"Tell me honestly how you're feeling, please." He was worried.

"Overwhelmed." I admitted. I knew I'd be blushing if I could.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising, Edward."

"Ok, sorry."

"Edward!"

"My apologies." He half smiled and then focused on the road. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

"I know." I squeezed his hand, recoiling when he winced. "I'm sorry!"

"I thought you said no apologising?" He smirked. I rolled my eyes.

"Rosalie is going to hate me so much." Edward didn't reply. "Edward?" He continued to stare at the road. "What has she done?"

"You're going to need a new car." My mind lingered on my old beloved truck.

"Why?" I growled, gripping the seat. Edward slowed the car.

"Relax, Bella. She took the engine apart and and cut all your cables." He grimaced.

"Ugh." I crossed my arms and let my face slip into a sulky pout. I wished she wasn't such a good mechanic as well as being gorgeous. I could feel my defensive instincts vibrating under my skin.

I had been so busy seething that I hadn't noticed the sign for the airport approaching. In a matter of seconds we were out the car but Edward caught my arm before I could head towards the building.

"We're not going there just yet."

"Where are we going then?"

"Out for dinner."


	25. Dinner

I stared after Edward in disbelief as he led me into the trees surrounding the airport. I wasn't sure if I was comfortable enough to feed yet, although the idea of blood appealed to me in the same way that Italian food once did. The thought of pasta now made me wrinkle my nose.

"Just follow your instincts." Edward told me, looking as uncomfortable as I felt. "It'll come to you naturally."

"And what are we eating?" I said quietly, scanning the forest for wildlife. Edward smiled sheepishly and raised one finger. I waited until my ears adjusted to the sound of oncoming hooves. "What are they?"

"White-tailed deer." Edward stated just as three came into view not so far away. "They're quick, but you're quicker. Like I said, Bella, just let your instincts take over."

"I don't think I'm ready for this." I whimpered but I could already feel my feet urging me forward. Edward squeezed my hand gently.

"I know and I'm sorry, but you need to feed." He smiled a sympathetic smile and nudged me forward slightly. "Stay quiet now."

I threw him one last frantic glance before I crouched low and sauntered towards the naive deer. They were grazing and surprisingly unaware of my approaching footsteps. Perhaps I could tread more lightly with my new feet? I also couldn't help noticing that I hadn't tripped over my feet once yet and was amazed that vampire venom had also cured my lack of balance and coordination. However, my thoughts distracted me from my path and a twig snapped beneath me, sending the deer instantly alert. They began to run and the realisation of my food escaping sent me into full on predator mode.

I forgot about Edward and my surroundings and focused only on my prey, breaking into a run myself. I felt myself grinning as the trees blurred around me and I prepared to pounce. One of the deer was only metres ahead of me, so close that I could probably snatch it if I jumped. In my next step I gracefully launched myself forwards with my arms wide and wrapped them around the mammal as we collided. It's neck crunched as we hit the ground and it's body went limp.

"Oh no!" I cried, skidding to a halt and dropping the deer. Edward suddenly appeared.

"That was brilliant, Bella!" He looked at the deer and then my startled expression. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't mean to break it's neck!" I hid my face in my hands but Edward just laughed.

"Bella, you were going to kill it anyway. I'm amazed that even distracted you from feeding straight away."

"Oh." Was all I could say. I looked at the deer and then realised I felt embarrassed with Edward watching.

"I'll go find something for myself." I smiled at him gratefully as he disappeared into the trees around me, leaving me alone with my kill. How did I go about this? Did I feed from the neck or was that too cliché? Nothing in this world came with instructions.

I crouched beside the deer and placed my hands around its neck, bringing it up to my face. If Jacob saw me now he'd have a heart attack and probably break my own neck. Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth and sunk my teeth into its flesh, wincing slightly as I heard it tear. But as the first trickle of blood entered my mouth, the anxiety and embarrassment vanished, only to be replaced by a hunger that went on to drain the deer completely. When there was nothing left to drink I dropped the body and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I felt amazing.

My senses that were already so sharp felt even more so now and I felt almost warm inside, as if I was still alive and human. I heard Edward approaching again and I turned to beam at him.

"Better?" He smirked, but there was still a hint of sadness in his eyes as if he was still coming to terms with my transition.

"Much." I confirmed, and flitted to his side to take his hand. "I never thought this would feel so…" I struggled to find the word.

"Monstrous?" Edward suggested. "Disgusting?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, stupid. Normal."

Edward squeezed my hand a little tighter. "Are you ok with this being normal now? Not that there's much we can do about it anymore."

"I think so," I shrugged, the movement faster than I remembered. "But Jake is going to really hate me this time."

Now it was Edward's turn to roll his eyes. "It's none of _Jake's_ business."

"He's still my best friend, even if he has been ignoring me."

"In which case I don't think he's even worthy of being your friend. In fact, I've never thought so." Edward smirked.

"I wish you two would just get over _it_." I sighed. "It's hard having a boyfriend and a best friend who not only hate each other, but are also enemies and are both in love with you."

"Is that what I am?" Edward smiled. "Your boyfriend?"

"What a silly question!" I snorted, giving him a light shove. Edward stumbled slightly. He raised his eyebrows.

"Well we haven't really clarified what's going on here."

"Edward, I love you, ok? I loved you when I said goodbye and for the entire time I was at univesity here. I was just too scared to do anything about it after everything I said to your family and the Volturi. Of course that didn't stop Aro getting involved." I felt my face slip into a frown. "You're stuck with me forever now."

"But don't feel that it's only this way because you were forced into this situation. If you chose to go your own way I would completely understand, I just don't like the idea of you ending your existence." Edward kept his expression serious, but I noted how his hand lingered anxiously beside mine. I slipped my fingers through his and laughed.

"You silly, over worrying vampire. I think we all knew I was going to come back to Forks eventually, even if it had just been for a holiday I would never have returned to Florida. Aro knew, Alice had probably seen it and deep down even I knew it was inevitable. We're meant to be, Mr Cullen." Edward's lips finally twitched into a smile.

"Admittedly my siblings had to rein me back from going after you on more than one occasion. If you hadn't come back here then I certainly would have gone to Florida, even if just for a _holiday_ as you put it." We laughed at how ridiculous we sounded. "You should have called me though, rather than plan to throw yourself into a bonfire."

"I was embarrassed." I whispered. Edward stroked my cheek.

"You should never be embarrassed when it comes to me, Bella, you know that. Yes, you made your feelings quite clear before you left, but that doesn't mean they would prevent me from coming to your aid when you needed me most. Who is the silly one now?"

"I suppose that would be me." I smirked, cuddling into his side. "What happens now?"

"Apart from getting you a clean change of clothes, are you happy to come back to Forks with me?"

"I suppose I'll have to. I need to talk to Jacob." Just saying his name made me feel sad.

"I wish you'd stop putting Jacob's happiness before your own, Bella. Even in death you think of others before yourself." Edward placed a hand against my cheek and kissed my forehead.

"I need to explain to him what's happened, Edward, he'll find out eventually anyway but I want it to be from me. And besides, I'm not really dead as such, so I've got to do something about my parents and school too. There's no way I can go back now." I wasn't sure whether to be pleased or annoyed about this. Although my heart had been elsewhere during my studies, I had put a lot of effort into my work. Edward seemed to sense my unease.

"You've got plenty of time to complete your studies, Bella. However if you'd prefer to do them sooner rather than later you can always go back in a couple of years once we know for sure you're in control of your thirst, not that it seems to be bothering you much."

"I know." I sighed. "So much for that normal human teenager life I claimed I wanted so badly, now it doesn't even look like I'm a normal teenage vampire."

Edward laughed. "You certainly had us all convinced that you wanted to remain as you were!"

"What is your family going to think of me now?" I whined. "Rosalie is going to end my existence for me!"

"She wouldn't dare." Edward growled. "Not if she values her own existence."

"Well she doesn't really, Edward." I snorted. "So that's hardly going to affect her decision."

"Everyone will understand, Bella, it's not like you went off seeking out Aro to turn you. If anything they'll want to comfort and help you." In all fairness I knew I could count of Edward's family for anything. Despite being predators, none of them had a bad bone in their bodies. Although the jury was still out on Rosalie.

"I'm just going to feel so stupid walking back in there after I walked out on you all." Edward didn't seem to understand how humiliating this was for me. If I was still capable of blushing I'd probably just be a permanent shade of red for the next 24 hours.

"My family are not judgmental, Bella. When Alice saw you about to walk into that bonfire all they were concerned about was your safety. When they understood that you had transitioned all alone with none of us to help, they all felt terrible. Rosalie included."

"Now why do I find that so hard to believe?" I huffed. "She didn't have anything nice to say to me when I left and you said she killed my truck!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "I think you're forgetting Rosalie's history, Bella, and her reasoning for not wanting you to be a vampire."

"Because she wanted to be human, I know all that." I frowned in confusion.

"True, but Rosalie told you that she wished there had been someone to vote no for her."

"So?" I pressed.

"You made your decision to remain human and when Aro came and found you, no one was there to stand up for you or try to prevent what he planned to do. Rosalie knows how you feel, Bella."

It did make sense, but Rosalie would always be the last person I would expect sympathy from. I was always going to be wary of her, even now in this indestructible form. Sensing that I had nothing to verbally comment, Edward continued.

"So, shall we head off?"

I nodded and followed him back to his car, my head swimming with all the upcoming conversations I was going to have to deal with; Edward's family, Jacob, my parents and no doubt the Volturi. I wasn't surprised when Edward produced a pair of jeans and a clean t-shirt from a suitcase in the boot of his car.

"Alice?" I smirked. He nodded.

"She knew of course." He handed me the clothes and then looked around. I realised that Edward still hadn't seen me without my clothes on. When he had been at my house I had always got changed in the bathroom while he waited in my bedroom. In this body I was more confident than I had ever imagined, but Edward and I still hadn't reached that physical point in our relationship and although our bond was as untraditional as you could get, I still wanted to do this the traditional way. "I'll wait here; you can get changed in the car if that suits you?"

I nodded quickly and darted into the passenger seat, cranking the chair back and ripping the singed and smoky clothes from my body to replace them with clean and no doubt designer ones. I didn't dare look at the labels. When I was done I climbed back out of the car and joined Edward, his face sheepish. We didn't discuss what had just happened, there were more pressing matters at hand and I wasn't entirely sure what to say anyway. We'd only just reestablished our relationship; we'd have to leave the ins and outs of it for another day.

Edward took my hand and led me towards the airport quickly. I was so used to people staring at Edward when we were in public that I suddenly felt very self-conscious when I noticed the eyes roaming over my appearance. That was something I was going to have to get used to.

Edward approached a desk and purchased us both last minute tickets for a flight back to Forks. I realised afterward that I hadn't got my passport on me, but wasn't surprised to find that someone had forged me a new one. I shrugged it off, those questions could be left for later. The walk to the terminal felt painfully slow, I'd never noticed how slowly humans travelled. Edward found this very amusing. We boarded the plane at an equally sluggish pace and I realised that the flight wasn't going to be much quicker. Right now I wished I could still sleep so that I could just reopen my eyes and we'd be home. Now I had no choice but to face the conversations in my head and come up with some sort of idea of what I was going to say to the people who were going to be affected by my transition.

"What do I say to my parents, Edward?" I asked him quietly. He was studying my face, no doubt still desperately trying to find a way to see my thoughts.

"That you decided university wasn't for you, you want to travel the world for a year or two and then reconsider going back and finishing." I was amazed how realistic this story would sound. And then I clicked.

"Is that actually what's going to happen?"

"I don't see why not. Carlisle said that he and Esme will remain in Forks while the two of us and my siblings go elsewhere until you're comfortable enough to be back around your human family."

_Human _family. I was going to have to get my head around the fact that I had a human family and a vampire family now too. "I suppose it is a good idea. I wonder what the wolves will say to that."

"The wolves have no say in the matter. The treaty between our family and theirs lies in Forks and La Push, not the rest of the world." Edward grumbled.

"But I'll be leaving Jacob again." I sighed sadly. Poor Jake. Maybe I didn't deserve_ his_ friendship.

"Jacob can't expect you to hang around forever. He'll imprint one day and won't need anyone else." His words hit me like a slap round the face. "I'm sorry, I just mean that once he's found his imprint he won't be quite so intent on making you choose between the two of us and blackmailing you into kissing him." Edward clearly hadn't gotten over what had happened a year or so ago when the newborns attacked.

"He knows I've chosen you, I'd choose you a thousand times over, but he's still my best friend regardless and I owe him more than you understand." It was Edward's turn to look like he'd been slapped. It was probably a little unfair of me to say because Edward did know how much I owed Jacob, mainly from when Edward left me, and therefore Edward felt he owed Jacob too.

"Of course, I'm sorry." We weren't really angry with one another, just both a bundle of emotions following my transition.

When we finally landed in Forks, Edward and I departed the plane hand in hand, unsurprised to see all the Cullens waiting for us in arrivals. Their faces were sad for me, but relieved to see Edward and I together.

Alice opened her arms and I fell into them. "Missed you."


	26. Forever Is Waiting

"Human life didn't work out for you then, Bella?" Emmett winked at me as I hovered awkwardly in the Cullen's lounge. I didn't feel like I needed to sit down, but I wasn't sure if I was supposed to anyway. Upon meeting the Cullens in the airport every one of them had apologised for my transformation. Even Rosalie had patted my arm sympathetically. According to Edward she _understood_, not decided she liked me, but simply _understood_.

Esme had looked like she was going to cry if it had been possible and Carlisle had been outraged that my introduction to their life had been so unwelcoming and unpleasant. I'd tried to assure everyone that it couldn't have been helped and I was simply an idiot for even assuming the Volturi would do things on my terms.

"Something like that." I mumbled, staring at my hands while they watched me. What I really wanted to do was go and see Jacob before word of my transformation reached him before I did, but there were still so many other things that needed to be addressed. For example, the envelope constructed of thick Italian paper that was resting on the door mat when we'd arrived at the Cullen's house.

"I'm sorry that I didn't see it, Bella." Alice sighed. She hadn't left my side since we'd landed. "You know that if I had, you would have been first to know."

"It's fine, Alice, Aro is clearly more crafty than we ever gave him credit for." I rubbed my throat gently, a gentle burn beginning to vibrate in the back.

"Are you hungry?" Edward asked quickly. He didn't miss a trick.

"Has she fed yet?" Carlisle asked anxiously. "I must say your self control in the airport was remarkable."

"Yes, Edward showed me how before we left Florida." I mumbled. "But I want to go and see Jacob, so I think I better feed first."

"Bella," Edward groaned. "We've spoken about this a hundred times. I don't think you should go and see Jacob yet."

"But I want to explain to him what's happened!" I was on the verge of stamping my foot and having a full on girly tantrum. "I'm not human any more, you can't go and disconnect the cables in my car so it won't start, or have someone kidnap me for the weekend, not to mention I'm stronger than you!"

Everyone started laughing and I found myself becoming even more impatient. "What?"

"You know you can't cross the treaty line though, Bella." Carlisle said softly, pursing his lips.

This obstacle hadn't even occurred to me. "Well I'll meet him on the line then. I'm still going."

"Jacob will just tell his father that he's seen you as you are and then Charlie will be over here looking for you. What are you going to say to him?" Edward prompted, a smug look on his face as if he thought he'd won the argument.

"Exactly what you told me on the plane. I decided I wanted to travel for a couple of years and then go back to my studies." I crossed my arms and waited.

"Oh just let her!" Alice snapped at them. "If she hunts first and wears contacts when she sees Charlie, it'll be fine. Jacob isn't going to hurt her, Edward."

"Alice, be reasonable!" Edward snarled.

"No, you be reasonable! Are you trying to push her away again?" Although she was small, Alice's words left her towering above everyone else. Edward's face became blank and he clenched his fists. This was another low blow of the day for him; everyone knew that the last thing he wanted was for me to disappear again. After a moments silence, Edward finally spoke.

"Fine, but you _will_ hunt first and you _won't_ cross the line or so help me." He demanded. It was just like it was when I used to visit Jake as a human. My crossing the line into La Push was rewarded with a similar lecture for the next time I decided to disobey the rules. It was frustrating but a part of me liked that nothing had changed between Edward and I. He still cared just as much as he had before I'd left, even if I was less breakable now.

"Thank you!" I squealed, the pitch of my voice surprising me and everyone else in the room. I threw myself at Edward to thank him properly, but Emmett's arm suddenly formed an iron grasp around my waist stopping me midway. "Hey!"

"She might look sweet enough, but I'm sure Esme doesn't want you breaking anything in her house." I pulled away from Emmett and grimaced at Esme. She laughed.

"You'll get used to it," she promised. "It's a strange but wonderful life." She left the room with Carlisle, Rosalie following suite.

"So can I go and hunt now?" I urged, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"I'll take you." Jasper announced. We hadn't spoken at all since I'd landed but I could already see how much more relaxed he was around me. Edward nodded at Jasper and reluctantly let me go with a quick kiss.

"Be careful." He said in a low voice.

Jasper took me into the forest where Edward and I had once hiked to our meadow. I couldn't wait to see what it looked like now with my sharper eyes, but I wanted it to be with Edward, not Jasper.

"Is it easier being around me now, Jasper?" I asked him. His dazzling smile in response left me smiling too.

"Much." He admitted. "I'm sorry if I ever made you feel uncomfortable."

"I think I'm the one who should be apologising for that!" I opened my arms and we hugged each other for a short moment. It felt like a barrier had been broken between the two of us, initially preventing us from forming any sort of friendship or understanding.

"Well you're officially part of the family now and no doubt you'll be a Cullen soon, I think it's about time I _didn't_ want to kill you, it's been an awful nuisance." His southern drawl seemed so much more prominent in this body and I couldn't help but smile again. "I'm not sure I ever apologised for nearly killing you on your birthday, you know?"

I grimaced when I thought back to my dreaded 18th birthday which had ended in misery and the beginning of Edward's decision to leave me. "It wasn't your fault, Jasper. I am too clumsy for my own good."

"You _were_." He corrected. "Vampire venom will have straightened out that little issue for you. But anyway, I am sorry. Perhaps if we hadn't left because of that, Aro would never have met you and maybe Edward would have been the one to turn you one day."

"I'm not even sure that was likely though." I sighed. "He was always so against my becoming a vampire, I'm surprised he's taking it so well."

Jasper and I crouched behind two bushes as the sound of heavy paws came into our hearing range. "Grizzly bear," Jasper grinned. "Emmett's favourite." I grinned back at him, imagining the look on Emmett's face if I told him I'd taken on a grizzly. "Oh – and yes, Edward is taking it relatively calmly, although I'd like to say my abilities may have something to do with that. You should have seen him when Alice showed him her vision of you walking into the fire. Why were you going to do that by the way?"

I listened carefully again, the bear must have been only moments away. "I was too embarrassed to ask for help and I didn't know how to cope with what had happened. Until I saw Edward, I didn't want to be this."

Jasper patted my back sympathetically. "I've felt like that before, especially after I left Maria, I didn't know how to be any other vampire and then like you seeing Edward again – I met Alice. I'm glad you're here though." He put his finger over his lips and gestured for me to begin.

Just as it had been with the deer in Florida, I felt my body become instantly alert when the bear came into view. There wasn't really any way that you could tackle a bear elegantly; they were just too...bulky. Kind of like Emmett. I got as close as I could without making a single stick break and gave Jasper one quick grin before I launched myself into the air and wrapped my arms around the bear's neck. As to be expected it was a lot stronger than the deer and put up more of a fight. I found myself having to wrestle the bear to the ground before I could snap its neck. The break echoed off the trees, but by then I'd already sunk my teeth into the flesh, grasping at the fur hungrily with my fingers in order to pull it closer and satisfy my thirst.

"Very good, Bella!" Jasper commented, appearing from the bushes. "Anyone would think you'd been doing this for years."

I felt a strange impulse to warn him off from my prey. I felt threatened. A low growl rumbled in my chest and I took a step backwards, snapping myself out of it. "Sorry, Jas." I muttered, shaking my head. He was laughing.

"You're doing so well," he chuckled. "It's actually making me uncomfortable. Are you sure you're a newborn?"

"I thought we were over making each other uncomfortable!" I grinned at him, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

Once Jasper and I were finished and full we made our way out of the forest. At the opening Jasper turned in the direction of the Cullen's house but I stopped.

"I'll go on to see Jacob from here." I told him. Jasper frowned.

"I think Edward was hoping to go with you, Bella."

"I don't think so. Edward needs to trust me for a change." I sighed.

"It's not you that he doesn't trust." Jasper offered with a smile. Of course, it was always Jacob's fault. I understood the reasoning behind Edward's feelings, but on this occasion I had to see him. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why is it that you feel you owe Jacob so much?" I had forgotten than Jasper could feel my emotions. Emotions were a traitor when Jasper was in your presence unless of course he was stalling me. Either way, I decided to answer now that Jasper and I had reached an understanding.

"It's kind of hard to explain, but I suppose you could relate it to Alice saving you," I began. Jasper nodded, urging me to continue. "When Edward left I had this gaping hole, not just in my life, but in my body – my chest. It hurt to think of him or of any of you, like a physical pain. Jacob is such a warm individual, when I was with him it felt like the hole wasn't really there. I felt better with Jake."

"So you feel like he saved you?"

"He definitely saved me from the person I had become after you all left. I was a mess, Jasper, a total wreck without Edward. Jacob gradually patched me up, he made me smile and laugh again and he became my best friend." I took a deep breath, something I realised was actually unnecessary for vampires. "Then I left to save Edward and you all came back to Forks. With Jacob being a wolf I think he felt betrayed that I was fine with what you are, actually, he thought I didn't think he was the _right_ monster for me." Jasper and I both laughed. "It's all a big mess really, especially as he's decided he's in love with me, but that time without Edward here when it was just Jacob and I, we formed a really special bond that means a lot to me. One of the last things I told Jacob – to his face – was that I didn't want to be a vampire, something he didn't want for me either and I'd hate for him to be told by someone else that I've returned in this form. It would just be another betrayal and another heap of hurt that he doesn't deserve."

"I understand your point of view, Bella. I think you're more selfless than you give yourself credit for, however I think you also need to understand that although Jacob is your best friend, he doesn't make decisions for you. Jacob _is_ selfish. I think that telling him yourself is a kind and loyal thing to do, but don't for second think that it's going to make his reaction any easier."

"Trust me, I'm preparing for the worst!" I confessed. "But he needs to hear it from me or he'll be hunting me down."

"I think he'll be hunting _Edward_ down regardless." This was definitely a possibility.

"All I want is for Jacob and I to be friends but now we're technically enemies. At least if I try and sort this out with him I'll know that I did my best." It was the only logical explanation I could come up with. None of the other Cullens had been best friends with a werewolf before, or been unfortunate enough to be a teenager that was stuck between two creatures from fairytales. I didn't have anyone experienced to go to for advice.

"I don't doubt your reasoning, Bella, but werewolves and vampires just aren't _friends_. We're natural enemies and they can kill us. We have an understanding with Sam's pack, but that's as far as it goes apart from Edward's bond with Seth." Jasper explained calmly.

"Well then why can't I have a bond with Jacob?" I huffed. "It's so unfair." Jasper laughed.

"You have a bit more than a bond with Jacob which is why there's a problem. Jacob could potentially try and kill us all when he finds out what's happened to you. I know this is difficult but you have our family to consider now." I knew Jasper was right and I knew that going to see Jacob made me selfish as well as selfless, but I had to do it. "I know you'll go whatever any of us tells you."

I smiled at Jasper sheepishly and looked in the direction of La Push. "See you later, Jasper."

"Be careful." He said, just as Edward had done, and disappeared.

I started running, so fast that my feet barely touched the cool tarmac of the road. I stayed close to the trees just in case someone should spot me or tried to identify the blurry silhouette that passed their vehicle. I ran straight through Forks and I kept running, desperately trying to come up with a conversation starter that would distract Jacob from my ruby eyes. Deep down I knew nothing would distract Jacob from the truth.

I remembered making this journey a hundred times while Edward had left; only it had seemed longer then. Perhaps my truck really had been slow. I ran until I should have been worn out, bent over, bright red and gasping for air, but running just felt like walking now. It came naturally. Who'd have thought such an uncoordinated teenager could be this graceful? When the sign for La Push came into view, I beamed. I wondered if we would smell one another before we made eye contact. I was so over excited that I almost forgot where the treaty line was located. I dug my heels into the ground before I broke the peace that had been upheld for so many years.

Sure enough, the minute my feet halted the howling started. Someone had smelt me. I opened my mouth to shout for Jake when a gangly boy came into view, half undressed.

"Seth!" I smiled, but he didn't smile back. He stared at me, wide eyed and worried.

"Bella?" He whispered. "I thought Edward hadn't turned you? I thought you'd left?"

"Seth, I need you to get Jacob for me – so I can explain. Please don't tell Sam yet. Please." Seth looked around awkwardly, torn between his loyalty for his alpha and my favour. He didn't respond, he just turned and ran. I just hoped he was running to Jacob.

It felt like a lifetime before I smelt wolf again. As promised it was the wet dog smell that had the Cullens wrinkling their noses in disgust whenever Jacob had been nearby. I looked up to see Seth again, only this time he was hovering behind a much larger boy. My best friend.

"Jacob!" I cried, about to take a step forward.

"Don't you dare cross that line!" Jacob snarled at me, his eyes dark and fierce.

I took a step back, shocked by his tone. He'd never spoken to me like that before. Those words were fuelled by hate. Where was the admiration we once held for each other?

"Jacob, it's so good to see you." I felt like I was going to cry.

"What the hell happened to you, Bella?" Jacob spat, his eyes roaming over my body and widening when he looked into my eyes. "You're a leech now? Since when?"

"Aro came and found me. I had no say in the matter." I said quietly. Jacob's forehead mashed together in confusion.

"Who the hell is Aro?"

"He's in charge of the Volturi. He bit me and left me in a park near my university." I heard a growl rip from Jacob's chest – he was trembling.

"Jake, breathe." Seth cautioned, placing a hand on Jacob's shoulder. Jacob closed his eyes for a moment before he came completely still.

"I thought you didn't want this, Bella? You made such a fuss before you left." His words stung my marble skin.

"I didn't want this, Jacob! I was getting on with my studies! Which you would have known if you'd answered my calls!" I snapped at him. "I didn't have a choice, ok?"

"Didn't that little psychic see?" Jacob fumed. "They could have warned you!"

"She didn't see!" I groaned. "Edward only came when Alice saw me about to walk into the fire." Jacob's eyes widened again, this time in horror.

"You were going to do WHAT?" He shouted, marching closer to the line.

"I just wanted it over. Edward came and stopped me and here I am." I shrugged. I yearned to reach out to him and have one of his bone crushing hugs.

"So now you're this." He gestured to my body with his hands. "You should never have left Forks. This is all Edward's fault. If he'd never have bitten you then you'd have had no reason to leave in the first place. I could kill him."

"Don't be so ridiculous, Jacob. They didn't break your treaty. After ignoring me for so long I'm surprised you actually care enough to say something like that." I rolled my eyes. Our friendship was separated by a stupid line in the ground. "Come over here, Jake."

"I don't think so. You're a newborn." He snorted, crossing his arms against his chest. "And if anyone knows how crazy and unpredictable newborns can get, then it's me."

I hated that Jacob was comparing me to the vampires that had crushed his bones and left him in agony. "I'm still me, Jake, I'm still Bella. I'm still your best friend." I tried to assure him.

"I can't be _best friends_ with a vampire, Bella." Jacob sighed. "You know that."

"Why not?" I snapped at him. "Do you really count me as one of your enemies now? Because I don't count you as one of mine."

"It's not that simple and you know it. I am what I am to protect people from your kind." Oh, so I was a 'kind' now. "I can't believe this has happened."

"Neither can I!" I growled. "But it _has _happened and there's nothing we can do about it. Would you rather me dead? Would you rather I had walked into those flames?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" He muttered, looking down.

"Charming." I rolled my eyes. "But I know you don't mean that, Jacob."

"Did you get a mind reading power too then?" He snorted. I realised I hadn't actually gained a power at all.

"No, it's just I remember when you told me you might even continue to fight for me _after_ my heart stopped. What changed?"

Jacob blushed slightly at the reminder. "I just don't like it." He snapped eventually. "It means that even after everything _he_ did to you, you're actually going to be with him forever and I can't do anything about it anymore. There's literally nothing I can do, you don't have a life that I can protect anymore."

"So you're jealous? Is that what this is about?" I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head to one side.

"This isn't funny, Bella." Jacob grumbled, but Seth choked back a laugh from behind him.

"Jake, the girl you love has just been transformed into a vampire and your issue is that you're jealous because it means she'll get to be with someone else forever. What about the fact she now drinks blood, doesn't sleep and can only be killed by ripping her limbs off and throwing them into a fire?" Seth chuckled. At least someone could find humour in my new body.

"She's not really the Bella I knew, Seth." He snarled at him.

"I am still here you know." I muttered, not particularly enjoying being spoken about as if I wasn't around, but also because it applied to the fact that I was still the Bella Jacob knew and loved. "Can't you just try to like me?"

"I do like you, that's the problem. I'm a werewolf and you are a vampire. I'm not supposed to feel anything for you other than hatred and disgust." He said it as if he was reading out of a text book.

"But I like Edward," Seth interjected. "I'd actually consider him to be one of my friends." Poor Seth, desperately trying to fight my corner while Jacob wasn't having any of it.

"And I _hate_ Edward." Jacob spat at him.

"But you don't hate Bella, Jake. You love her." Jacob blushed at Seth's words, his eyes flashing to my face. He studied me carefully as if he was really trying to see who I was to him now. Was there anything left in me that Jacob could still love at all?

"Jacob," I whispered, taking the tiniest step forward. Jacob's body weight shifted him forward too, but his feet wouldn't budge. "Jacob please see that it's still me."

"You don't look like Bella, but you _seem_ like her." He sighed sadly. Hesitantly he reached out and touched my cheek, flinching at the temperature. "You're cold." I wasn't sure what to say so Jacob spoke again. "I don't like the idea of losing you completely."

"You won't." I vowed. "I will always be your friend; I'll always be here for you. Forever."

"That's a guarantee." He sighed. "Friends for life, eh?" I could see a smile playing on his lips now.

I grinned at him. "We always were, even before this happened." I gestured to myself.

"What sucks the most is that you actually look seriously smoking hot." He smirked.

"Trust you to kill the mood." I meant to nudge him lightly but he toppled over. Seth howled with laughter. Terrified that I'd already changed his mind back, I took a step backwards. "I am so sorry, Jake! This is new to me."

Jacob hauled himself up, brushing the dirt of his shorts. He took a deep breath. "Now that's something I'm going to have to get used to." Then his face broke out into a grin. "At least now we can ride our motorcycles without the risk of you getting killed and cliff dive!" Now he was talking.

"Anything you want!" Jacob crossed the line and I wrapped my arms around him as lightly as I could manage. He hugged me back tentatively. I was vaguely aware of the sound of Seth running off and giving us some privacy.

"Are you going to be leaving?" He whispered into my hair.

"Maybe. Edward thinks that a couple of years travelling will make me safer around Charlie." I sighed. I didn't really want to leave him now that we'd patched things up.

"A couple of years?" He groaned, hugging me a little tighter. I decided it was best if I remained as I was. If I hugged _him_ any tighter then I might have broken something.

"I'll call you all the time, I promise."

"I don't think Edward would like that...sounds like a great idea." He laughed. Typical Jacob.

"It's going to work out, Jake." I promised him. "But I've got to go now, I have Charlie to face. He's probably not going to be best pleased that his only child has dropped out of university to see the world."

"Good luck with that one." Jacob released me and stepped back over the line, his face more serious now. "Be careful with him." I rolled my eyes.

"I'll have someone with me." I took in his face, mentally comparing it to the gangly boy I had first befriended when I'd moved here and smiled. "I'm glad we're friends again, Jacob."

"Me too. I'll see you around, Bells."

"See ya, Jake." My throat felt thick but there were no tears to fall out of my eyes. Jacob turned and disappeared into the trees. In a matter of seconds he would no doubt be in his wolf form.

As I turned to run back to Edward I felt a mixture of emotions. Happiness and relief because everything was right in the world again; I had Edward back and I had my best friend back. Sadness because I couldn't be the friend that Jacob deserved and because our friendship would never be as natural as it once was. Anger because I'd had my choice taken away from me, but amazed because this life was every bit as wonderful as I'd hoped. Not many people got to be with the person they loved _forever_.

Remembering that my forever was waiting for me, I took a deep, unnecessary breath and ran.

THE END.


	27. EPILOGUE: 'Catch Me' in Edward's POV

**EPILOGUE**

'**CATCH ME' IN EDWARD'S POV**

Right now I was thankful for the extra strength and speed that the human blood had given me. All I wanted to do was make Mandu pay for what he had done to Bella. I replayed her injuries over and over in my head, motivating me toward inflicting worse to him in return. Part of me was kicking myself for even letting her come all this way in the first place, and to think I'd put her life in the hands of those useless mutts. Gah. Never again would I rely on Jacob to protect Bella, her always hurt her one way or another.

I launched myself at the psycho vampire; the one that Carlisle honestly believed was adapting to belonging to a _healing_ coven, and threw him to the ground. His stone arms grasped the tops of mine as we rolled through the undergrowth, fighting to the death. I couldn't let him survive now, not after what he'd done to my Bella. I felt the ferocious growls ripping from my chest but there was no time to consider how this would affect Bella's nightmares for the next few weeks. I needed Mandu dead and I needed it now.

In the next moment I felt myself thrown up into the air, high enough that I went crashing through the floor and ceiling of the tree house that Bella had jumped from only moments earlier. Wood went splintering everywhere and three of the branches became dislodged. The tree wobbled but I didn't care about saving the rainforest now. I fell quicker than I'd flown, and within seconds I was back on the ground with Mandu.

"You will pay for what you've done." I promised him with a smile. He charged at me but I caught his arm, spinning him round until I'd wrenched his arm from its socket. The sound of the flesh tearing as the limb became unattached was the sound of victory. I was vaguely aware of the voices of my family nearby; Bella was now in the capable hands of Carlisle and Alice.

"Bella, where is Sam? With Apari?"

"Yes, and Coorah and Ellin."

Sam would be next on my list. I would quite happily tear his limbs from his body for not protecting her, for allowing this monster to hurt her.

I froze as Bella suddenly cried out in pain, twisting her body up to grab at her knee. My head snapped her way and I could feel myself crumbling inside as I took in her scrunched up, pale face. Could I spare him and comfort her? Or kill him and leave her alone in her agony? Before I could make a decision Mandu's thoughts changed and he charged towards, one arm missing. I narrowed my eyes and jumped, kicking him to the ground in one movement.

"Alice, you must help Edward. We have to get Mandu back to Apari so he can decide what must be done."

"But Carlisle he needs to be destroyed, he's intent on killing Bella!" Alice squealed.

"That's not our call to make, Apari is his leader. Alice, please."

What? What was Carlisle saying? Was he denying me the revenge I craved to finish? Surely things would have been different if Esme had been the human attacked by this psycho? Alice's hand on my shoulder snapped me out of my thoughts. She stared at me in a way that said she'd seen the outcomes of every decision I could make right now and that this was the right one. I stared at Mandu for a moment, wanting more than anything to tear his head off and make him feel the way Bella had felt while he damaged her, but at the same time I knew that if I just returned him to his _owner_ then I could be with Bella.

"Come on, Edward." Alice mumbled and I knew she was right. Even if I didn't like it. I took some comfort in knowing that Alice wanted him destroyed too. We both grabbed Mandu and dragged him with us as we ran. The sooner I could get back to Bella, the better.

He struggled as we ran, but having one less arm had left him slightly off balance. I smirked the whole way through the rainforest, just hoping that Apari would give him as good as a punishment as I had started. It was the least he deserved.

My attention was drawn to Sam waiting with Coorah and Ellin, his face furious if not slightly embarrassed. The growls built up in my chest again.

"No, Edward. What about Bella?" Alice cautioned as we threw Mandu into the arms of Apari who pushed him to the ground.

"But Sam-" I began.

"This _isn't_ Sam's fault," She snapped at me. "This is Mandu's fault and he will be punished for it. Go back to Bella."

"She's right, Edward," Apari's voice was old and wise. He stared at Mandu with pity. "I don't think Mandu is capable of healing now."

"He needs to be destroyed!" I shouted, my body twitching with rage. "You should see what he did to Bella! _My_ Bella! If Carlisle wasn't so kind, that psycho would be in burning pieces right now." Apari's eyes widened slightly.

"_I _will decide what will happen to him, Edward. Now return to your human mate before things get out of hand here."

My eyes flickered to Alice who nodded at me. I turned and ran without another word, too angry to even form something sensible to say. Could I honestly rely on Apari to end Mandu's life? Could Carlisle ever destroy one of us if we did something so vile?

When I saw Carlisle in the distance I made myself run harder and faster, launching myself into the space beside him and Bella.

"Is she ok?" I asked him, my eyes bouncing from his face to Bella's.

"I'm fine, Edward." She said quickly, but I ignored her, waiting for Carlisle to speak. Of course Bella would downplay it, it was just so...Bella. She rolled her eyes.

"She'll be fine, Edward. A bit of stitching and a cast for her leg will do the trick." She groaned, and I remembered her hate of having plaster all over her leg. Even in a moment of deepest hate and anger Bella could still make me feel as human as her. I chuckled and brushed her hair behind her ears.

"Alice is with the others. Apari will deal with Mandu now. Sam is also fine, whatever wounds he did have are healed now." I explained to Carlisle and then turned to Bella. "That's the last time you ever save my life!" I leant in to kiss her eagerly awaiting lips.

"No, Edward!" Carlisle cried. I barely registered the fear in his words, or cared.

My lips moulded perfectly to Bella's as if they'd never been apart and she began to kiss me back. It felt like we were the only two people in this rainforest. I was sure the kiss could even have set the trees alight. Bella suddenly stopped kissing me, but I didn't want to, not yet. I swept my tongue across her lower lip, recognising the familiar metallic taste of blood. Something in me changed then and the metallic taste became sweet. So sweet. My prey took a deep breath and tried to turn its head away. I growled a warning, forbidding it to do so and it obeyed.

"Edward." Someone said quietly and I looked up and stared into the eyes of the familiar human.

"It tastes so good, just as I remember." I sighed, returning back to Bella's lips eagerly. I shifted my lips down slightly and wrapped them around hers, now sucking at the wound. I could feel the blood rushing to her face, trying to keep up with my thirst. My prey struggled, as they usually did. It was refreshing.

"Edward stop. You've stopped before, you can do it again." Carlisle grabbed my arm but I automatically shook him off, throwing him backwards. I didn't want to stop. Today Carlisle just wanted to spoil all my fun.

My prey wriggled against me, feebly hitting my back. Thankfully I could slowly feel its movements become weaker and its body become limp.

I paused, enjoying the moment but the prey tried to pull its head away and attempted to push me away from it. As if it could beat me. In one swift movement I had its arms pinned to its sides and had sauntered back towards the blood supply.

My teeth edged forever closer to its mouth, tempting me to do what I was best at. I grasped its head in my hand and opened my jaw a little wider.

"NO, EDWARD!" Alice shrieked as she suddenly came into view. Maybe she wanted a taste too. I bit down on my prey's lower lip and began to drink.

"Edward, you are going to hate yourself if you carry on. Please, leave Bella alone now." How could I hate myself for allowing myself to have pleasure such as this? And who was Bella?

"Edward, you love her. You love Bella and she loves you. Let her go!" Alice cried, hovering around me as if afraid to touch me. Who was this 'Bella'? The blood flow came thick and fast now, making me feel warm as it slipped down my throat. I'd never tasted anything so amazing.

Or had I?

Suddenly the flavour became all too familiar and I was reminded of a time when I'd saved a human girl from a vampire bite. I had sucked the venom from her wrist in order to prevent her from becoming like myself. I had wanted to protect her soul. Because I loved her.

I dropped my prey...my Bella and stared at her in disbelief as she began to shudder and writhe on the floor. It wasn't as violent as I remembered it had been that first time. She didn't even make any noise. Maybe there was nothing left in her to fight.

"You'll have to do it, Alice." Carlisle said hurriedly, pushing me aside and rushing to Bella's aid. I felt an overwhelming pang of jealousy that he was helping her. If I loved her then surely I was supposed to be doing that job?

"Carlisle?" I mumbled. "Alice?"

Neither of them responded to me. Instead I watched as Alice leant her face towards Bella's and began to suck the venom from her lower lip. Anyone who didn't understand would have thought they were kissing. Part of me wondered if leaving Bella to start the transition would have been better, surely Alice would have considered it? Wasn't she always saying how Bella was going to be a vampire one day?

It felt like Alice was glued to Bella's face forever, but when she did eventually pull away I envied how easily she had been able to stop. She nodded at Carlisle who was muttering into his phone. I had been too distracted to pay attention to the conversation. I tuned in right at the end.

"Only you come, Emmett, please." Carlisle sighed impatiently. "Rosalie will only make matters worse. I'll see you in a couple of days.

Why was Emmett coming?

I took a step towards Carlisle just as Alice scooped Bella up into her arms and ran with her, leaving me helplessly staring after them.

"Carlisle, what's going on?" I choked out. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "What did I do?"

"You know what you did, Edward, I'm not going to make you relive it by telling you." He sighed. "We're taking Bella to the nearest hospital now."

"Is she going to be ok?" The words wouldn't have been audible to human ears. I felt broken.

"Let's hope so." He patted my arm and turned to leave.

"Carlisle, why is Emmett coming?"

"Moral support." Carlisle said quickly before running and leaving me alone.

Somehow I didn't believe Emmett was capable of giving moral support. This probably translated into him being here to restrain me in case I decided to suck the life out of someone else. I thought back to the conversation and the mention of Rosalie. No doubt she wanted to tag along so that she could give me a piece of her mind. Rosalie had always believed that if my relationship with Bella ended badly then it was implicate the entire family. Now it had ended badly. I was not going to popular when we returned home.

I ran my hands through my hair once and ran towards the ferry.

Towards the mess I'd made.


End file.
